Shloka 19
Chapter 12: Arjuna’s suppression of the Saṃśaptakas and duel with Aśvatthāmā
Drauṇi
अथापरे पुन: शूराश्वेदिपठ्चालकेकया: । कारूषा: कोसला: काउ्च्या मागधाश्षचापि दुद्र॒ुवु:
athāpare punaḥ śūrāś cedi-pāñcāla-kekayāḥ | kārūṣāḥ kosalāḥ kāñcyā māgadhāś cāpi dudruvuḥ || bāṇāndhakāram abhavat tayo rājan mahāmṛdhe | anyonyasya dhanuś caiva cicchidus te mahārathāḥ ||
Sañjaya dijo: Entonces otros valientes guerreros —los de Cedi, Pañcāla, Kekaya, Kārūṣa, Kosala, Kāñcī y Magadha—también se precipitaron. Oh Rey, en aquella gran batalla se formó una oscuridad por la lluvia de flechas. Y aquellos grandes guerreros de carro se cercenaron mutuamente los arcos, cada cual esforzándose por quebrar el poder y la resolución del otro en medio de la matanza.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war rapidly draws in many allies and regions, and how skill and aggression (such as cutting an opponent’s bow) become decisive. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring warning: once violence is unleashed, it spreads and darkens judgment—symbolized by the ‘darkness’ of arrows—making restraint and dharma harder to uphold.
Sañjaya reports that additional contingents from several kingdoms charge into the fight. The exchange of arrows becomes so dense that it seems like darkness. In the clash, elite chariot-warriors sever one another’s bows, a tactical move to disable an opponent and gain advantage.