Shloka 5
ते पिबन्त इवाकाशमणश्लैरष्टी महारथा: । व्यराजयन् दश दिशो वैयाप्रैहेंमचन्द्रकै:,भूरिश्रवा, शल, कर्ण, वृषसेन, जयद्रथ, कृपाचार्य, मद्रराज शल्य तथा रथियोंमें श्रेष्ठ अश्वत्थामा--ये आठ महारथी व्याप्रचर्मद्वारा आच्छादित तथा सुवर्णमय चन्द्रचिह्रोंसे विभूषित अअश्वोंद्वागा आकाशको पीते हुए-से दसों दिशाओंको सुशोभित कर रहे थे
te pibanta ivākāśam aṇuślāir aṣṭau mahārathāḥ | vyarājayan daśa diśo vaiyāprāiḥ hema-candrakaiḥ || bhūriśravāḥ śalaḥ karṇaḥ vṛṣasenaḥ jayadrathaḥ | kṛpācāryaḥ madrarājaḥ śalya tathā rathīnāṃ śreṣṭha aśvatthāmā ||
Sañjaya said: Those eight great chariot-warriors seemed to drink up the sky with the dust raised by their swift advance. Covered in protective leather armour and adorned with golden moon-emblems, they made all ten directions blaze with splendour—Bhūriśravā, Śala, Karṇa, Vṛṣasena, Jayadratha, Kṛpācārya, the king of Madra Śalya, and foremost among chariot-fighters, Aśvatthāmā.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war can appear glorious—elite warriors, shining insignia, and sweeping momentum—yet this splendour is ethically ambiguous. It invites reflection on how external brilliance and reputation can mask the grave human cost and moral peril inherent in violent conflict.
Sañjaya describes a formation of eight renowned Kaurava-aligned chariot-warriors advancing with such speed that dust seems to ‘drink the sky.’ Their armour and golden moon insignia make the battlefield’s directions appear illuminated, emphasizing their collective presence and impending impact in the battle.