Shloka 57
कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation
Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows
वध्यमानांस्तु तान् दृष्टवा सूतपुत्रेण मारिष । वित्रेसु: सर्वभूतानि तिर्यग्योनिगतान्यपि,आर्य! सूतपुत्रके द्वारा मारे जाते हुए उन योद्धाओंको देखकर समस्त प्राणी पशु-पक्षी भी भयसे थर्रा उठे
vadhyamānāṁs tu tān dṛṣṭvā sūtaputreṇa māriṣa | vitresuḥ sarvabhūtāni tiryagyoni-gatāny api ||
Sanjaya said: “O noble one, seeing those warriors being slain by the Sūta’s son, all creatures were struck with terror—even beings of the animal and bird realms. The violence on the battlefield had become so overwhelming that fear spread beyond the combatants, shaking the entire living world.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how unchecked battlefield violence radiates suffering beyond the intended targets: terror and moral disturbance spread to all life. It implicitly critiques the dehumanizing scale of war, where even innocent creatures are affected, reminding the listener that actions in adharma have wide, unavoidable consequences.
Sañjaya reports to the king that Karṇa (called ‘the Sūta’s son’) is killing many warriors. The slaughter is so intense that not only soldiers but all creatures—including animals and birds—tremble in fear.