Shloka 34
भीष्मरथाभिमुख्यं — Arjuna’s advance with Śikhaṇḍin; Duḥśāsana’s interception
अस्थिसंघातसम्बाधा केशशैवलशाद्वला । रथद्गदा शरावर्ता हयमीना दुरासदा
sañjaya uvāca |
asthisaṅghātasambādhā keśaśaivalśādvalā |
rathadgādā śarāvartā hayamīnā durāsadā ||
Sañjaya dit : «Ce fleuve funeste était encombré d’amas d’os tels des masses de rochers. Les cheveux y semblaient des algues et de l’herbe. Les chars et les massues paraissaient ses mares, les flèches ses tourbillons, et les chevaux les poissons qui l’habitaient—le rendant périlleux et difficile à franchir.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a stark metaphor—war as a river filled with bones, hair, weapons, and horses—to highlight the horrific cost of violence and the moral peril of conflict, urging reflection on dharma and the human consequences of battle.
Sañjaya continues his vivid report of the Kurukṣetra war to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, portraying the battlefield as a terrifying river that is difficult to cross, emphasizing the chaos and carnage of the fighting.