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 ||
Sañjaya dijo: «Oh noble, al ver a aquellos guerreros siendo abatidos por el hijo del Sūta, todos los seres quedaron sobrecogidos de terror, incluso los de la estirpe de las bestias y de las aves. La violencia en el campo de batalla se había vuelto tan abrumadora que el miedo se extendió más allá de los combatientes, sacudiendo a todo el mundo viviente.»
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.