Shloka 42
भीमस्य जलान्वेषणं तथा वनविश्रान्तिः
Bhīma’s Search for Water and the Forest Halt
(न दिशो नान्तरिक्षं च तदा नैव च मेदिनी । अदृश्यत महाराज तत्र किंचन संयुगे ।।
vaiśampāyana uvāca |
na diśo nāntarikṣaṃ ca tadā naiva ca medinī |
adṛśyata mahārāja tatra kiṃcana saṃyuge ||
bāṇāndhakāre balinā kṛte gāṇḍīvadhanvanā ||
Wahai Raja, dalam pertempuran itu tak tampak arah, tak tampak langit, bahkan bumi pun seolah lenyap—tiada apa pun terlihat. Sebab Arjuna yang perkasa, pemegang Gāṇḍīva, telah menebarkan kegelapan pekat melalui hujan panahnya.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how unchecked force in war can eclipse clarity itself—symbolically showing that violence creates moral and perceptual darkness, where orientation (diśaḥ) and discernment are lost.
During a fierce combat, Arjuna releases such a thick volley of arrows that the battlefield appears dark; observers cannot distinguish directions, sky, or earth.