Shloka 23
गौरुडव्यूह-रचना तथा अर्धचन्द्र-प्रत्यव्यूह
Garuḍa Array and the Ardhacandra Counter-Formation
तस्मिन्नत्याकुले युद्धे दारुणे लोमहर्षणे,जिघांसन्तं युधां श्रेष्ठ तदा55सीत् तुमुलं महत् । संजय कहते हैं--राजन्! पाण्डवपक्षके लाखों क्षत्रियशिरोमणि महारथी विराट सेनापति शूरवीर श्वेतको आगे करके आपके पुत्र दुर्योधनको अपना बल दिखाते हुए शिखण्डीको सामने रखकर भीष्मके सुवर्णभूषित रथपर चढ़ आये। भारत! वे महारथी श्लेतकी रक्षा करना चाहते थे। इसलिये उसे मारनेकी इच्छावाले योद्धाओंमें श्रेष्ठ भीष्मपर उन्होंने धावा किया। उस समय बड़ा भयंकर युद्ध छिड़ गया
tasminn atyākule yuddhe dāruṇe lomaharṣaṇe | jighāṃsantaṃ yudhāṃ śreṣṭha tadā āsīt tumulaṃ mahat ||
Sañjaya said: “In that battle—utterly confused, cruel, and hair-raising—when the foremost of warriors was being assailed with the intent to kill, a tremendous and tumultuous fight broke out.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral gravity of war: once the intent becomes outright killing of the foremost warrior, the battlefield turns into uncontrolled turmoil. It highlights how quickly conflict escalates when protection of allies and the urge to eliminate a key opponent dominate judgment.
Sañjaya describes a moment in the Bhīṣma-focused war narrative where the fighting becomes extremely chaotic and terrifying. With warriors pressing forward intending to slay the leading fighter, a massive, tumultuous engagement erupts.