Shloka 19
Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)
तत्र तत्र नरौघाणां क्रोशतामितरेतरम् | शुश्रुवुर्दारुणा वाच: प्रेतानामिव भारत
tatra tatra naraughāṇāṁ krośatām itaretaram | śuśruvur dāruṇā vācaḥ pretānām iva bhārata ||
Wahai Bhārata, di sana-sini di medan perang itu, gerombolan manusia saling memanggil sambil meratap; suara mereka yang mengerikan terdengar laksana hiruk-pikuk para arwah.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the human cost of war: when violence dominates, the battlefield becomes a realm of near-death where ordinary human voices resemble the tumult of the dead. It implicitly warns that adharma and uncontrolled aggression dehumanize both victim and victor, making suffering the loudest ‘message’ of conflict.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that across the battlefield, masses of wounded and terrified men are crying out to one another. Their collective wailing is so dreadful that it sounds like the uproar of pretas (the departed), conveying the chaos and horror of the fighting.