Shloka 17
भीमसेन-दुर्योधन-समागमः
Bhīmasena–Duryodhana Engagement at Sunset
शक्तीनां विमलाग्राणां तोमराणां तथास्यताम् | निस्त्रिंशानां च पीतानां नीलोत्पलनि भा: प्रभा:
sañjaya uvāca | śaktīnāṃ vimalāgrāṇāṃ tomarāṇāṃ tathāsyatām | nistriṃśānāṃ ca pītānāṃ nīlotpalanibhāḥ prabhāḥ ||
Sañjaya said: The gleam of spears with spotless, sharpened points, of javelins (tomaras) as they were hurled, and of bright, flashing swords appeared like the radiance of blue lotuses—an awe-inspiring beauty born of instruments of war, foreshadowing the grave moral cost of the battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata tension: even when war appears visually magnificent, it remains an arena of destruction. The poetic beauty of the weapons’ radiance implicitly contrasts with the ethical gravity of the coming slaughter, reminding the listener not to confuse splendour with righteousness.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene: spears with sharp points, javelins being hurled, and gleaming swords. Their collective shine is compared to the glow of blue lotuses, intensifying the vividness and momentum of the combat.