Shloka 28
Adhyāya 110: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament on Fate; Saṃjaya’s Reproof and the Princes’ Assault on Bhīma (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय ११०)
उच्चावचानि रूपाणि चकार सुबहूनि च । अर्णुर्बृहत् पुन: स्थूलो नादान् मुज्चन्निवाम्बुद:,उसने वहाँ छोटे-बड़े बहुत-से रूप धारण किये। वह मेघके समान गर्जना करता हुआ कभी बहुत छोटा हो जाता और कभी महान्, कभी सूक्ष्मरूप धारण करता और कभी स्थूल बन जाता था
uccāvacāni rūpāṇi cakāra subahūni ca | aṇur bṛhat punaḥ sthūlo nādān muñcann ivāmbudaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: He assumed many forms, both high and low, in great variety. Like a thundercloud releasing its rumbling roar, he would become at one moment minute, at another vast; now subtle, now gross—displaying a terrifying, wondrous power amid the turmoil of battle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the overwhelming, shape-shifting potency displayed in war—power that can appear as minute or immense, subtle or gross—reminding the listener that external form is unstable and that extraordinary force can inspire both fear and wonder; ethically, it underscores how such power, when unleashed in battle, intensifies the stakes and the moral gravity of the conflict.
Sañjaya reports that a formidable figure is manifesting many different forms on the battlefield—alternating between tiny and gigantic, subtle and massive—while producing a thundercloud-like roar, suggesting a supernatural or highly wondrous display meant to overwhelm opponents.