Shloka 43
प्रावर्तत नदी घोरा शोणितौघतरड्रिणी । गोमायुगणसंकीर्णा क्षणेन क्षणदामुखे,फिर तो वे सब योद्धा वेगसे युद्ध करते हुए दुष्कर पराक्रम प्रकट करने लगे। उसी समय सूर्य अस्ताचलको चले गये और उनका प्रकाश लुप्त हो गया। इस प्रकार संध्या होते- होते क्षणभरमें रक्तके प्रवाहसे परिपूर्ण भयानक नदी बह चली और उसके तटपर गीदड़ोंकी भीड़ जमा हो गयी
sañjaya uvāca | prāvartata nadī ghorā śoṇitaughataradriṇī | gomāyugaṇasaṅkīrṇā kṣaṇena kṣaṇadāmukhe ||
Sañjaya said: In an instant, a dreadful river began to flow—its torrent made of blood—roaring and rushing onward. Along its banks gathered packs of jackals, drawn to the carnage.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions as an ethical warning through imagery: unchecked violence in war produces consequences so extreme that nature itself appears inverted—blood becomes a river and scavengers gather. It underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring theme that adharma and loss of restraint in conflict invite ruin and ominous signs.
Sanjaya reports a terrifying battlefield omen: as fighting intensifies, a ‘river’ of blood seems to surge forth, and jackals crowd the banks. The description heightens the horror of the battle and foreshadows further destruction.