Shloka 21
रथेन तेनानलवर्चसा तदा विद्रावयन् पाण्डववाहिनीं ताम् । रराज संख्ये परिवर्तमानो विद्युन्माली मेघ इवान्तरिक्षे,अग्निके समान तेजस्वी पूर्वोक्त रथके द्वारा उस समय पाण्डव-सेनाको खदेड़ता हुआ अलायुध युद्धस्थलमें सब ओर घूमकर आकाशमें विद्युन्मालासे प्रकाशित मेघके समान सुशोभित हो रहा था
sañjaya uvāca | rathena tenānalavarcāsā tadā vidrāvayan pāṇḍavavāhinīṃ tām | rarāja saṅkhye parivartamāno vidyunmālī megha ivāntarikṣe ||
Sañjaya said: Then, with that chariot blazing like fire, he drove the Pāṇḍava host into flight. Wheeling about on the battlefield, he shone resplendent—like a cloud in the sky wreathed with garlands of lightning.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how outward splendor and force in war can rapidly shift morale and order—an ethical reminder that battlefield success often depends on momentum and fear as much as merit, and that dazzling power does not by itself resolve the deeper dharmic tragedy of the conflict.
Sañjaya describes a warrior (implied by context) moving swiftly in his chariot, routing the Pāṇḍava forces. As he circles the battlefield, his appearance is compared to a lightning-adorned cloud in the sky, emphasizing speed, radiance, and terror.