नराश्वमातड़रथै: समाकुलं शरासिशव्त्यृष्टिनिपातदुः:सहम् । अभीरुजुष्ट हतदेहसंकुलं रणाजिरं लोहितमाबभौ तदा
sañjaya uvāca |
narāśva-mātaṅga-rathaiḥ samākulaṃ śarāsi-śakti-ṛṣṭi-nipāta-duḥsaham |
abhīru-juṣṭaṃ hata-deha-saṅkulaṃ raṇājiraṃ lohitam ābabhau tadā ||
Pada saat itu medan perang sesak oleh prajurit berjalan kaki, kuda, gajah, dan kereta. Hujan panah serta hantaman senjata—pedang, tombak, dan lembing—membuatnya nyaris tak tertahankan. Dipenuhi jasad para gugur dan didatangi para pemberani, gelanggang perang itu tampak merah oleh darah.
संजय उवाच
The verse underscores the human cost of war: when courage is severed from restraint and dharma, the battlefield becomes a place of unbearable suffering, marked by bloodshed and the bodies of the slain—an implicit ethical warning about violence and its consequences.
Sañjaya gives a vivid report of the combat scene: the field is packed with infantry, horses, elephants, and chariots; weapons rain down; corpses accumulate; and the ground appears red with blood as fearless warriors continue to press the fight.