Shloka 18
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
विनदत्सु च योधेषु शड्खवर्य श्व पूरितै: । उत्क्ुष्टे: सिंहनादैश्व गर्जितिश्वव धन्विनाम्
sañjaya uvāca |
vinadatsu ca yodheṣu śaṅkhavaryaiḥ sva-pūritaiḥ |
utkruṣṭaiḥ siṃhanādaiś ca garjitaiś ca dhanvinām ||
Sañjaya sprach: Als die Krieger schrien und erlesene Muschelhörner, mit voller Kraft geblasen, widerhallten, schwoll das Schlachtfeld an von Siegesrufen, Löwengebrüll und dem donnernden Lärm der Bogenschützen. In jenem Augenblick überschritt das Kämpfen die Grenzen des Schicklichen und wurde zu einem zügellosen Gemetzel, das alle Schranken zerbrach; und furchtbare Vorzeichen traten hervor, die Verderben ankündigten.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war can slip beyond maryādā (ethical restraint): the outward signs of heroism—conches, roars, and shouts—can accompany an inner collapse of dharma when violence becomes unbounded, foreshadowing ruin.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield at a peak of intensity: warriors are shouting, conches are blown powerfully, and archers roar and bellow. The scene signals that the fighting has escalated into a ruthless phase, setting the stage for grievous destruction and ominous developments.