Shloka 31
तत् प्रवृत्तं निशायुद्धं चिरें सममिवाभवत्
tat pravṛttaṃ niśāyuddhaṃ cireṇa samam ivābhavat
Sañjaya said: That night-battle, once it had begun, went on for a long time and seemed, as it unfolded, to be evenly matched—an ominous sign of how darkness and fury can suspend any clear advantage and prolong suffering on both sides.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how warfare—especially when fought in darkness—can erase clarity and restraint, producing a grim equilibrium where neither side gains decisive moral or strategic advantage, and the conflict simply endures, multiplying harm.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the fighting continued into the night; once the nocturnal combat began, it lasted a long time and appeared evenly balanced, with no clear victor emerging for a prolonged period.