Shloka 59
शल्यपर्व — चतुर्विंशोऽध्यायः | Śalya Parva, Chapter 24: Disruption of Kaurava Formations and the Elephant Encirclement
आसीत् सर्वमवच्छन्नं गाण्डीवप्रेषितै: शरैः । न प्राज्ञायन्त समरे दिशो वा प्रदिशोडपि वा,गाण्डीव धनुषसे छूटे हुए बाणोंद्वारा उस रणभूमिकी सारी वस्तुएँ आच्छादित हो गयी थीं। दिशाओं अथवा विदिशाओंका भी ज्ञान नहीं हो पाता था
āsīt sarvam avacchannaṁ gāṇḍīva-preṣitaiḥ śaraiḥ | na prājñāyanta samare diśo vā pradiśo 'pi vā ||
Sañjaya said: “The entire battlefield was veiled by the arrows discharged from the Gāṇḍīva. In that clash, one could not even discern the directions or the intermediate quarters—such was the overwhelming storm of missiles that blotted out all bearings and order in war.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how unchecked martial force can overwhelm perception and order: in war, clarity and moral orientation are easily obscured, reminding the listener that power must be governed by discernment (viveka) and dharma.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield being completely covered by arrows shot from the Gāṇḍīva, to the extent that fighters could not distinguish even the main and intermediate directions amid the tumult.