Shloka 84
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
तथोत्थितेषु बहुषु कबन्धेषु नराधिप | तथा रुधिरगन्धेन योधा: कश्मलमाविशन्,नरेश्वर! फिर उस तरहके बहुत-से कबन्ध उठे दिखायी देने लगे तथा रुधिरकी गन्धसे प्राय: सभी योद्धाओंपर मोह छा गया था
tathotthiteṣu bahuṣu kabandheṣu narādhipa | tathā rudhiragandhena yodhāḥ kaśmalam āviśan ||
Sañjaya sprach: „O König, als viele kopflose Rümpfe in solcher Weise aufzustehen schienen, breitete sich der Geruch von Blut über das Feld; und unter diesem Gestank wurden die Krieger von Verwirrung und Bestürzung ergriffen.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical and psychological cost of war: when violence becomes overwhelming, even seasoned warriors are shaken by kaśmala—confusion and moral-mental collapse—prompting reflection on the gravity of adharma-driven slaughter and the fragility of human resolve.
Sañjaya describes a terrifying battlefield scene to the king: numerous kabandhas (headless bodies) appear to rise and move, and the pervasive smell of blood causes the warriors to be overcome by bewilderment and dread.