Shloka 2
अध्याय ४ — दुर्योधनस्य असंधि-निश्चयः
Duryodhana’s Refusal of Reconciliation
आयोधन चातिघोरें रुद्रस्याक्रीड संनिभम् । अप्रख्यातिं गतानां तु राज्ञां शतसहस्रश:
sañjaya uvāca |
āyodhanaṃ cātighore rudrasyākrīḍa-sannibham |
aprakhyātiṃ gatānāṃ tu rājñāṃ śata-sahasraśaḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : «Ô Roi, ce champ de bataille était devenu d’une horreur extrême, tel un terrain de jeu de Rudra (Śiva) dans son aspect farouche. Là, par centaines de milliers, des rois furent rejetés dans l’obscurité : leur renommée et jusqu’à leur trace furent effacées au milieu des décombres de la guerre.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the impermanence of worldly power and fame: even mighty kings can be erased into obscurity by the destructive force of war, which is likened to Rudra’s terrifying arena.
Sañjaya describes to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the horrific state of the battlefield, emphasizing its dreadfulness and the massive, anonymous loss of kings, setting a grim tone for the events unfolding in the Śalya Parva.