Shloka 23
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 45: Saubhadra–Lakṣmaṇa-saṃyoga and Kaurava Counter-Encirclement
एकधा शतधा राजन् दृश्यते सम सहस्रधा । अलातचक्रवत् संख्ये क्षिप्रमस्त्राणि दर्शयन्,राजन! वह शीघ्रतापूर्वक अस्त्रसंचालनका कौशल दिखाता हुआ युद्धमें अलातचक्रकी भाँति एक, शत तथा सहसौरों रूपोंमें दृष्टिगोचर होता था
ekadhā śatadhā rājan dṛśyate sa sahasradhā | alātacakravat saṅkhye kṣipram astrāṇi darśayan ||
Sañjaya said: O King, in that battle he appeared now as one, now as a hundred, even as a thousand—swiftly displaying his missiles—like the whirling circle of fire made by a brand. The verse underscores how speed and mastery in warfare can create an illusion of multiplicity, intensifying fear and confusion on the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary speed and technical mastery can alter perception in war, creating an appearance of many forms from one person—an image that conveys both the power of skill and the psychological impact (fear, confusion) it produces.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a warrior, rapidly wielding and releasing weapons in the thick of battle, seemed to appear as one, a hundred, or a thousand—like the circular streak of light seen when a burning brand is spun quickly.