Shloka 7
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सैन्यप्रशंसा, भेदनवृत्तान्त-प्रश्नः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya Dialogue: Praise of the Host and Inquiry after the Breach
अन्ये बलमदोन्मत्ता: परिघैर्बाहुशालिन: । चक्र: सम्बाधमाकाशमुच्छितेन्द्रध्वजोपमै:,अपनी भुजाओंसे सुशोभित होनेवाले कितने ही योद्धा अपने बलके मदसे उन्मत्त हो ऊँचे फहराते हुए इन्द्र-ध्वजके समान उठे हुए परिघोंसे सम्पूर्ण आकाशको व्याप्त कर रहे थे
anye balamadonmattāḥ parighair bāhuśālinaḥ | cakraḥ sambādham ākāśam ucchitendradhvajopamaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “Many other warriors, their arms well-formed and powerful, were intoxicated with pride in their strength. Wielding iron clubs raised high like Indra’s banner, they seemed to fill and crowd the very sky—an image of martial arrogance swelling amid the chaos of war.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how pride born of strength (balamada) can intoxicate warriors, swelling into a display of power that obscures discernment. In the ethical frame of the Mahabharata, such martial arrogance is a warning sign: valor without restraint easily turns into destructive frenzy.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene: numerous fighters, strong-armed and emboldened, lift their heavy clubs high. Their raised weapons, likened to Indra’s lofty banner, create the impression that the sky itself is crowded with upraised arms and iron bars.