Shloka 31
Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ
Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements
तत् परे नान्वबुध्यन्त सैन्येन रजसा वृता:
tat pare nānvabudhyanta sainyena rajasā vṛtāḥ
Sañjaya sprach: Doch die anderen konnten nicht erkennen, was geschah, denn der vom Heer aufgewirbelte Staub umhüllte sie. Im moralischen Dunst der Schlacht werden selbst klare Zeichen und nüchternes Urteil von Verwirrung und dem Druck der Gewalt verdunkelt.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, clarity of perception collapses: physical dust becomes a symbol of mental and moral obscuration. When conditions are turbulent, people fail to recognize events accurately, leading to misjudgment and further harm.
Sañjaya reports that the combatants on the other side did not comprehend the situation because the battlefield was shrouded in dust churned up by the moving army, preventing them from seeing and understanding clearly.