Shloka 4
Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 155 — Ghaṭotkaca-nidhana-śoka and Karṇa-śakti-vyaya
Kṛṣṇa’s strategic reassurance
रथिनां रथिभि: सार्थ रुधिरत्रावदारुणम् | प्रावर्तत महद् युद्ध निध्नतामितरेतरम्,परस्पर प्रहार करनेवाले रथियोंका रथियोंके साथ महान् युद्ध होने लगा, जो खूनकी धारा बहानेके कारण अत्यन्त भयंकर जान पड़ता था
sañjaya uvāca | rathināṁ rathibhiḥ sārtha rudhira-trāva-dāruṇam | prāvartata mahad yuddhaṁ nighnatām itaretaram ||
Lalu pecahlah pertempuran besar di antara para kesatria kereta—kereta melawan kereta. Pemandangan itu amat mengerikan, dibuat ngeri oleh aliran darah yang mengucur, ketika mereka saling menghantam dan menjatuhkan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim ethical reality of war: when combatants engage in unchecked mutual aggression, the encounter becomes 'dāruṇa'—terrible—marked by bloodshed and reciprocal harm. It implicitly cautions that even duty-bound warfare can devolve into dehumanizing violence if not governed by restraint and dharma.
Sañjaya describes a major clash among chariot-warriors: charioteers and fighters on chariots meet in close contest, striking each other down. The battle intensifies into a frightening scene characterized by the flowing of blood.