Shloka 296
उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations
वारणाभिरस्ता घोरा क्ष्वेडितोत्क्रुष्टनादिता । उस सेनाके आसपास सियारोंके समूह अपनी भयंकर बोली बोल रहे थे। शक्तियों तथा ध्वजोंसे सारी सेना व्याप्त थी। कहीं हाथी चिग्घाड़ रहे थे, कहीं योद्धा सिंहनाद कर रहे थे और कहीं एक सैनिक दूसरेको पुकारते तथा ललकारते थे। इन शब्दोंसे कोलाहलपूर्ण हुई वह सेना बड़ी भयानक जान पड़ती थी
vāraṇābhir astā ghorāḥ kṣveḍitotkruṣṭanāditāḥ |
Sañjaya said: Around that host, dreadful cries rang out—trumpeting elephants, warriors roaring like lions, and soldiers calling and challenging one another. Filled with weapons and standards, the army became a single tumult of sound, appearing terrifying in the very atmosphere it created.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war amplifies collective frenzy—noise, banners, and weaponry become a spectacle that overwhelms discernment. Ethically, it hints at the dehumanizing momentum of battle, where courage and aggression blur into chaos and dread.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield atmosphere: elephants trumpet, warriors shout, and soldiers challenge each other. The army, packed with weapons and standards, becomes a terrifying, uproar-filled mass.