Shloka 306
भीमसेन-दुर्योधन-प्रहारः तथा घटोत्कचमायाप्रादुर्भावः | Bhīmasena–Duryodhana Clash and the Manifestation of Ghaṭotkaca’s Māyā
अशोभन्त रणे राजन् पात्यमानानि सर्वश: । भारत! स्वच्छ आकाशके सदृश खड़ग और सौ चन्द्राकार चिह्नोंसे विभूषित ऋषभचर्मकी विचित्र ढालें दृष्टिगोचर हो रही थीं। राजन्! रणभूमिमें गिरायी जाती हुई वे सब-की-सब तलवारें और ढालें बड़ी शोभा पा रही थीं
sañjaya uvāca | aśobhanta raṇe rājan pātyamānāni sarvaśaḥ |
Sañjaya said: “O King, as they were being struck down and falling everywhere in the battle, they appeared splendid. Swords and many wondrous shields—adorned with crescent-moon emblems and fashioned of bull-hide—came into view like bright forms against a clear sky. Even as they dropped upon the field, those weapons and shields lent a grim beauty to the scene, revealing the terrible grandeur of war.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the paradox of war: even instruments of harm can appear outwardly beautiful, reminding the listener to distinguish aesthetic spectacle from ethical reality and to reflect on the impermanence of power and possessions in conflict.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, noting how swords and shields, struck from warriors and falling all around, still look striking as they scatter across the field.