Shloka 4
Arjuna’s Surrender and Kṛṣṇa’s Instruction on the Imperishable Self, Svadharma, and Karma-Yoga
Bhīṣma-parva 24.0
संजय उवाच उभयो: सेनयोस्तत्र योधा जहृषिरे तदा । सत्रज: समा: सुगन्धानामुभयत्र समुद्धव:
sañjaya uvāca | ubhayoḥ senayostatra yodhā jahṛṣire tadā | srajaḥ samāḥ sugandhānām ubhayatra samudbhavaḥ |
Sañjaya said: “There, the warriors of both armies were filled with exhilaration. On both sides alike, fragrant garlands and perfumes appeared in abundance.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how collective emotion and outward signs of celebration can arise even at the threshold of violence. It implicitly invites reflection on the contrast between festive martial enthusiasm and the grave ethical weight of war, a tension that the Bhīṣma Parva repeatedly foregrounds.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, as the confrontation intensifies, fighters on both sides are elated and energized. Fragrant garlands and perfumes appear on both sides, suggesting a ceremonial, triumphant atmosphere and possibly an auspicious or extraordinary occurrence surrounding the armies.