Shloka 36
Karṇa-parva Adhyāya 58 — Arjuna’s Arrow-Storm and Relief of Bhīmasena
दृश्यन्ते वै महाराज शरैश्छन्ना: सहस्रश: । महाराज! उस समय सब ओरसे बाणोंद्वारा आच्छादित होनेके कारण न तो आकाश दिखायी देता था, न दिशाएँ दीखती थीं और न सहसौरों योद्धा ही दृष्टिगोचर होते थे ।।
sañjaya uvāca | dṛśyante vai mahārāja śaraiś channāḥ sahasraśaḥ |
Sañjaya dit : Ô grand roi, on voyait des milliers d’hommes entièrement couverts de flèches. En cet instant, parce que des volées de traits de tous côtés voilaient toute chose, on ne distinguait ni le ciel ni les directions, et même la foule des guerriers n’apparaissait plus nettement—tant le combat était devenu dense et aveuglant.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the dehumanizing intensity of war: when violence becomes overwhelming, clarity—symbolized by sky and directions—disappears. It implicitly warns that unchecked martial fury obscures discernment and humane perception, even for those who are present.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the battlefield is so saturated with arrows that the sky and directions cannot be seen, and the warriors themselves are hard to distinguish—conveying the peak ferocity and confusion of the combat.