Shloka 56
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
अन्वयुर्भरतश्रेष्ठ सप्त श्वेतरथं प्रति । ततस्ता ज्वलिता: सप्त महेन्द्राशनिनि:स्वना:
sañjaya uvāca |
anvayur bharataśreṣṭha sapta śvetarathaṃ prati |
tatastā jvalitāḥ sapta mahendrāśaninissvanāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: O best of the Bharatas, those seven missile-weapons rushed together toward Śveta’s chariot. Then, blazing fiercely and roaring with a sound like Indra’s thunderbolt, the seven sped forward at once against him—an image of war’s terrifying force unleashed without restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly violence can intensify in war: multiple lethal forces converge at once, and the comparison to Indra’s thunderbolt underscores the awe and terror of unleashed power. Ethically, it invites reflection on the destructive momentum of conflict and the fragility of life amid martial glory.
Sañjaya reports that seven blazing missile-weapons (śaktis) surge together toward Śveta’s chariot, roaring like Indra’s thunderbolt—signaling a coordinated, overwhelming attack against the warrior Śveta in the Kurukṣetra battle.