Shloka 2
कृष्णेन अर्जुनस्य प्रोत्साहनम् — Kṛṣṇa’s Exhortation to Arjuna
Prelude to Karṇa’s Slaying
रथौघाश्ष हयौघाक्ष नरौघाश्ष॒ समन्ततः । गजौघाश्न महाराज संसक्ताश्न परस्परम्,राजेन्द्र! रथसमूह, अश्वसमूह, हाथियोंके झुंड और पैदल मनुष्योंके समुदाय सब ओर एक-दूसरेसे उलझे हुए थे
sañjaya uvāca | rathaughāś ca hayaughāś ca naraughāś ca samantataḥ | gajaughāś ca mahārāja saṃsaktāś ca parasparam ||
Sañjaya sprach: „O großer König, überall waren die Scharen der Streitwagen, die Scharen der Pferde, die Scharen der Fußsoldaten und die Scharen der Elefanten ineinander verkeilt, miteinander verstrickt im Gedränge der Schlacht.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral weight of war by portraying its indiscriminate, engulfing nature: once battle swells, individuals become part of a crushing mass where mutual harm spreads beyond personal intention, inviting reflection on responsibility, restraint, and the cost of adharma-driven conflict.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the battlefield has become a dense mêlée: chariot divisions, cavalry, elephant corps, and infantry are intermingled on all sides, locked together in close combat.