Shloka 343

Devanagari script

सैन्येन रजसा ध्वस्तं निर्मर्यादमवर्तत । उस समय सेनाद्वारा उड़ायी हुई धूलसे व्याप्त होकर सारा जनसमूह उद्विग्न हो रहा था, किसीको कुछ नहीं सूझता था। उस युद्धमें किसी भी नियम या मर्यादाका पालन नहीं हो रहा था

Transliteration

sainyena rajasā dhvastaṃ nirmaryādam avartata |

Translation

Sañjaya said: The battlefield, choked and battered by the dust raised by the armies, turned into a scene without restraint. In that confusion the mass of warriors grew agitated, unable to discern anything clearly, and the fighting proceeded with no regard for rule, order, or the ethical boundaries of war.

Word by Word

सैन्येनby the army

रजसाby dust

ध्वस्तम्shattered/ruined; thrown into disorder

निर्मर्यादम्without bounds/without restraint

अवर्ततwent on/occurred/continued

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

army (sainya)

dust (rajas)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how war can collapse into moral and procedural disorder: when confusion and rage dominate, maryādā (ethical restraint and agreed rules) is abandoned, showing the fragility of dharma under extreme violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield becoming engulfed in dust raised by the armies. Visibility and clarity are lost, the warriors become distressed and disoriented, and the combat continues in a lawless manner without observing customary rules of engagement.