Shloka 38
Rajo-dhūli-saṃmūḍha-saṅgrāmaḥ
The Dust-Obscured Battle and Mutual Charges
हाहाकारो महानासीद् योधानां युधि युध्यताम् । तेजस्तेजसि सम्पृक्तमित्येवं विस्मयं ययु:
sañjaya uvāca |
hāhākāro mahān āsīd yodhānāṃ yudhi yudhyatām |
tejas tejasī sampṛktam ity evaṃ vismayaṃ yayuḥ ||
उस समय युद्ध में जूझते योद्धाओं का महान हाहाकार चारों ओर फैल गया। “तेज का तेज से संघर्ष हो रहा है”—ऐसा कहकर सब लोग विस्मय में पड़ गये।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war magnifies power and pride—'splendor against splendor'—yet its immediate fruit is collective anguish and shock. It implicitly warns that even justified martial prowess (kṣatriya-dharma) carries a heavy ethical and human burden, demanding restraint and sober awareness.
Sañjaya reports that as the warriors clash in battle, a massive uproar spreads across the field. Observers marvel, saying that one blazing force is meeting another—indicating an intense, evenly matched and terrifying confrontation.