Shloka 26
Bhīṣma-parva Adhyāya 16 — Saṃjaya’s Boon, Bhīṣma’s Protection, and the Dawn Arraying of Armies
उन्मत्तमकरावर्तो महाग्राहसमाकुलौ
unmattamakarāvarto mahāgrāhasamākulau
Sañjaya dit : Le champ de bataille était tel un tourbillon déchaîné de crocodiles affolés, bouillonnant et tumultueux, encombré de grands sauriens — image de la violence incontrôlable de la guerre et du péril qui engloutit quiconque y pénètre.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a stark simile to convey that war becomes a self-sustaining vortex of danger: once entered, it seizes and overwhelms. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring warning that violence, even when framed by duty, carries chaotic consequences that can engulf all sides.
Sañjaya is describing the scene of battle to Dhṛtarāṣṭra. He characterizes the battlefield as a terrifying, churning whirlpool filled with predatory creatures, intensifying the sense of imminent peril and the ferocity of the combat.