Shloka 316
उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations
अड्डदे: कुण्डलैरनिष्कि: शस्त्रैश्वैवावभासिता | महाराज! रातके समय कौरव-सेना अपने बाजूबन्द, कुण्डल, सोनेके हार तथा अस्त्र- शस्त्रोंसे प्रकाशित हो रही थी
sañjaya uvāca | aṅgadāḥ kuṇḍalair aniṣkiṇaḥ śastraiś caivāvabhāsitāḥ | mahārāja! rātrikāle kaurava-senā svabāhubandhaiḥ kuṇḍalaiḥ suvarṇa-hāraiś cāstra-śastraiś ca prakāśitā babhūva |
Sanjaya said: O great king, in the night-time the Kaurava host shone forth—its warriors illuminated by their armlets, earrings, golden necklaces, and by the gleam of their weapons.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts the dazzling outer brilliance of ornaments and weapons with the grim ethical reality of war. It invites reflection that martial splendor and royal display do not by themselves confer righteousness; dharma depends on motive, conduct, and justice, not on glittering appearances.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that during the night the Kaurava forces appeared radiant, their bodies and ranks catching light from gold ornaments and the sheen of weapons. It sets the atmosphere of a nocturnal military scene and heightens the tension of impending or ongoing combat.