Shloka 2
कृष्णेन अर्जुनस्य प्रोत्साहनम् — Kṛṣṇa’s Exhortation to Arjuna
Prelude to Karṇa’s Slaying
रथौघाश्ष हयौघाक्ष नरौघाश्ष॒ समन्ततः । गजौघाश्न महाराज संसक्ताश्न परस्परम्,राजेन्द्र! रथसमूह, अश्वसमूह, हाथियोंके झुंड और पैदल मनुष्योंके समुदाय सब ओर एक-दूसरेसे उलझे हुए थे
sañjaya uvāca | rathaughāś ca hayaughāś ca naraughāś ca samantataḥ | gajaughāś ca mahārāja saṃsaktāś ca parasparam ||
Sañjaya dit : «Ô grand roi, partout, les masses de chars, de chevaux, de fantassins et d’éléphants étaient aux prises, emmêlées les unes aux autres dans l’étreinte de la bataille».
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral weight of war by portraying its indiscriminate, engulfing nature: once battle swells, individuals become part of a crushing mass where mutual harm spreads beyond personal intention, inviting reflection on responsibility, restraint, and the cost of adharma-driven conflict.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the battlefield has become a dense mêlée: chariot divisions, cavalry, elephant corps, and infantry are intermingled on all sides, locked together in close combat.