Shloka 5
उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations
मन्ये तानस्पृशच्छीतमतिवेलमनार्तवम् । मन्ये ते समवेपन्त गावो वै शिशिरे यथा
manye tān aspṛśacchītam ativelam anārtavam | manye te samavepanta gāvo vai śiśire yathā ||
Sañjaya dit : «Je pense qu’un froid démesuré les frappa—un froid hors saison. Je pense qu’ils tremblèrent tous ensemble, comme des vaches qui frissonnent en hiver.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear and foreboding can seize even the strong: an ‘untimely cold’ functions as an omen-like image for inner collapse, showing that moral and psychological forces in war can overwhelm physical prowess.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the warriors (implied by context) were suddenly overcome by an unnatural chill and began to tremble together, compared to cows shivering in winter—suggesting panic, dread, or an ominous turn in the battle.