Shloka 56
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
अन्वयुर्भरतश्रेष्ठ सप्त श्वेतरथं प्रति । ततस्ता ज्वलिता: सप्त महेन्द्राशनिनि:स्वना:,भरतश्रेष्ठ! वे सातों शक्तियाँ प्रज्वयलित हो देवराज इन्द्रके वजकी भाँति भयंकर शब्द करती हुई श्वेतके रथकी ओर एक साथ चलीं
sañjaya uvāca |
anvayur bharataśreṣṭha sapta śvetarathaṃ prati |
tatastā jvalitāḥ sapta mahendrāśaninissvanāḥ ||
Sañjaya dijo: Oh, el mejor de los Bháratas, aquellas siete armas arrojadizas se precipitaron juntas hacia el carro de Śveta. Entonces, ardiendo con fiereza y bramando con un estruendo como el rayo de Indra, las siete avanzaron a la vez contra él: imagen del poder terrible de la guerra desatado sin freno.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how quickly violence can intensify in war: multiple lethal forces converge at once, and the comparison to Indra’s thunderbolt underscores the awe and terror of unleashed power. Ethically, it invites reflection on the destructive momentum of conflict and the fragility of life amid martial glory.
Sañjaya reports that seven blazing missile-weapons (śaktis) surge together toward Śveta’s chariot, roaring like Indra’s thunderbolt—signaling a coordinated, overwhelming attack against the warrior Śveta in the Kurukṣetra battle.