Shloka 8
Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam
A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement
जज्वलुश्चैव शस्त्राणि ध्वजाश्वैव चकम्पिरे । अश्रूणि च व्यमुञ्चन्त वाहनानि विशाम्पते,प्रजानाथ! कौरवोंके शस्त्र जल उठे, ध्वज हिलने लगे और वाहन आँसू बहाने लगे
jajvaluś caiva śastrāṇi dhvajāś caiva cakampire | aśrūṇi ca vyamuñcanta vāhanāni viśāmpate prajānātha |
Sañjaya sprach: „O Herr des Volkes, o Lenker der Menschen – auf der Seite der Kauravas loderten die Waffen plötzlich auf, die Standarten bebten, und selbst Reittiere und Wagen schienen Tränen zu vergießen.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s ethical vision that adharma in war is not merely a human failing; it disturbs the moral order so deeply that even the tools and creatures of battle are portrayed as reacting with fear and grief. Omens function as a narrative reminder that violence undertaken without righteousness carries a cosmic and psychological cost.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that alarming portents appear among the Kauravas: weapons seem to flare, flags shake, and the animals/vehicles of war appear to weep. The scene heightens tension before or during a critical clash, signaling impending calamity for the Kaurava cause.