Shloka 12
Kuru-Sainika-Āśvāsana and Vijayaghoṣaṇa
Reassuring the Kuru Soldiers; Proclaiming Victory
विशिखोन्मथितैगत्रिर्बाहुभिश्व सकार्मुकै: । सहस्ताभरणैश्षान्यै: प्रच्छन्ना भाति मेदिनी
viśikhonmathitaiḥ gātraiḥ bāhubhiś ca sa-kārmukaiḥ | sa-hastābharaṇaiḥ śānyaiḥ pracchannā bhāti medinī ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The earth shone—though in a grim, uncanny way—covered over with bodies torn and churned by Arjuna’s arrows, and with severed arms still gripping their bows. Even on those fallen hands, armlets, bracelets, rings, and other ornaments remained intact. Thus the battlefield, strewn with weapons and adorned limbs, displayed a strange splendor, underscoring the terrible cost of war and the moral weight borne by those who fight.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical gravity of warfare: even when fighting is framed as duty, its outcome is horrific—bodies and severed arms litter the ground. The ‘strange splendor’ is a warning against romanticizing victory, reminding the listener that dharma in war carries a heavy human cost.
Vaiśampāyana narrates the aftermath of intense fighting: the battlefield is covered with mangled bodies struck by arrows, and severed arms still clutching bows, their ornaments unchanged. The scene emphasizes the scale of slaughter and the eerie visual detail of weapons and jewelry amid death.