Shloka 56
Chapter 51: Saṃdhyākāla-saṃhāra
Evening Withdrawal after Arjuna’s Counter-Advance
अन्वयुर्भरतश्रेष्ठ सप्त श्वेतरथं प्रति । ततस्ता ज्वलिता: सप्त महेन्द्राशनिनि:स्वना:
sañjaya uvāca |
anvayur bharataśreṣṭha sapta śvetarathaṃ prati |
tatastā jvalitāḥ sapta mahendrāśaninissvanāḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Ô le meilleur des Bhārata, ces sept armes-projectiles se ruèrent ensemble vers le char de Śveta. Puis, flamboyantes et rugissantes d’un fracas pareil au foudre-vajra d’Indra, elles fondirent toutes à la fois sur lui — image de la force terrifiante de la guerre, lâchée sans retenue.
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.