Shloka 17
भीष्मपातने कर्णविलापः | Karṇa’s Lament upon Seeing Bhīṣma Fallen
येन येन प्रसरतो वाय्वग्नी सहितौ वने
yena yena prasarato vāyvagnī sahitau vane
Sañjaya dit : «Partout où le vent et le feu se répandent ensemble dans la forêt…» (Il commence à décrire l’élan rapide et incontrôlable de la destruction—une image qui présente la violence de la bataille comme une force qui, une fois lâchée, échappe à toute retenue aisée et dévore tout sur son passage.)
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse’s imagery suggests that when destructive forces combine—like wind feeding fire—the resulting harm spreads rapidly and indiscriminately. Ethically, it cautions that violence, once set in motion, can exceed intention and become difficult to contain.
Sañjaya is beginning a simile-based description of events in the battle, comparing the onward surge of devastation to wind and fire moving together through a forest, emphasizing speed, reach, and uncontrollable spread.