उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations
तस्मिन् रात्रिमुखे घोरे महाशब्दनिनादिते
tasmin rātrimukhe ghore mahāśabdaninādite
Sañjaya berkata: Pada awal malam yang mengerikan itu, ketika gemuruh suara besar mengguncang segenap penjuru, medan perang menjadi muram—gelap kian menebal, namun hiruk-pikuk perang tak juga surut. Di tengah pembantaian yang terus berlangsung, rasa takut dan ketegangan dharma makin memuncak.
संजय उवाच
The verse underscores how war’s momentum can persist even as night falls, intensifying confusion and dread; ethically, it hints at the erosion of restraint when darkness and uproar overwhelm clarity and self-control.
Sañjaya sets the scene: night is beginning, and the surroundings are terrifying, filled with loud reverberating sounds—an atmospheric transition that frames the next events in the battle.