Shloka 33
भीष्मवधोपाय-प्रश्नः (Inquiry into the means to overcome Bhīṣma) | Chapter 103
विमर्द: सुमहानासीत् तस्य सैन्यस्य मारिष । रक्षसा घोररूपेण वध्यमानस्य संयुगे,आर्य! युद्धस्थलमें भयंकर राक्षसके द्वारा मारी जाती हुई उस सेनाका महान् संहार होने लगा
vimardaḥ sumahān āsīt tasya sainyasya mārīṣa | rakṣasā ghorarūpeṇa vadhyamānasya saṃyuge ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai yang mulia, di dalam bala tentara itu timbul pertempuran yang amat dahsyat. Ketika pasukan itu ditebas di medan laga oleh seorang rākṣasa berwujud mengerikan, pembantaian besar pun mulai terjadi di gelanggang perang.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral and psychological reality of war: once unleashed, violence escalates beyond orderly combat into indiscriminate slaughter, especially when driven by fearsome, non-human or ‘demonic’ forces—an implicit warning about adharma and loss of restraint in battle.
Sañjaya reports to the king that a huge, chaotic clash has erupted and that the army is being devastated in the fighting by a terrifying rākṣasa, leading to widespread killing on the battlefield.