Shloka 75
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
शव्त्यूष्टिप्रासशब्दश्न॒ तुमुल: समपद्यत । भिन्दतां परमर्माणि राजन दुर्मन्त्रिते तव
śakty-ṛṣṭi-prāsa-śabdaś ca tumulaḥ samapadyata | bhindatāṃ paramarmāṇi rājan durmantrite tava ||
Sañjaya dit : « Le champ de bataille enfla d’un vacarme effroyable — le choc et le sifflement des lances, javelots et piques. Les guerriers déchiraient les points vitaux de l’ennemi, ô Roi ; et ce malheur est né de ton mauvais conseil. Partout résonnait le tumulte des armes, tandis que les hommes en armure rugissaient et frappaient, et que les chevaux rapides tombaient et se tordaient dans la cohue. »
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores royal accountability: destructive outcomes in war are linked to flawed counsel and moral failure in governance. A king’s decisions and advisors’ guidance carry ethical weight, and ‘bad counsel’ (durmantrita) becomes a cause of widespread suffering.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield’s chaos: the terrifying noise of spears and lances, warriors piercing vital points, and the general carnage. He addresses the king, implying that this turmoil and loss are the fruit of the king’s misguided policy and advice.