Shloka 4
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 155 — Ghaṭotkaca-nidhana-śoka and Karṇa-śakti-vyaya
Kṛṣṇa’s strategic reassurance
रथिनां रथिभि: सार्थ रुधिरत्रावदारुणम् | प्रावर्तत महद् युद्ध निध्नतामितरेतरम्,परस्पर प्रहार करनेवाले रथियोंका रथियोंके साथ महान् युद्ध होने लगा, जो खूनकी धारा बहानेके कारण अत्यन्त भयंकर जान पड़ता था
sañjaya uvāca | rathināṁ rathibhiḥ sārtha rudhira-trāva-dāruṇam | prāvartata mahad yuddhaṁ nighnatām itaretaram ||
Sañjaya said: Then a great battle broke out among the chariot-warriors, chariot set against chariot. It appeared exceedingly dreadful, made terrible by the streaming of blood, as they struck one another down in mutual assault.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim ethical reality of war: when combatants engage in unchecked mutual aggression, the encounter becomes 'dāruṇa'—terrible—marked by bloodshed and reciprocal harm. It implicitly cautions that even duty-bound warfare can devolve into dehumanizing violence if not governed by restraint and dharma.
Sañjaya describes a major clash among chariot-warriors: charioteers and fighters on chariots meet in close contest, striking each other down. The battle intensifies into a frightening scene characterized by the flowing of blood.