Shloka 603
Śalya-hatānantarāṇi: Madrarāja-padānugānāṃ praskandana and the Pandava counter-encirclement (शल्यहतानन्तराणि—मद्रराजपदानुगानां प्रस्कन्दनम्)
क्षरन्तो रुधिरं देहैविपन्नायुधजीविता: । युधिष्ठिरके बाणसमूहोंसे आच्छादित हुए आपके सैनिकोंने आँखें मीच लीं और आपसमें ही एक-दूसरेको घायल करके वे अत्यन्त पीड़ित हो गये। उस समय शरीरोंसे रक्तकी धारा बहाते हुए वे अपने अस्त्र-शस्त्र और जीवनसे भी हाथ धो बैठे
sañjaya uvāca | kṣaranto rudhiraṃ dehair vipannāyudha-jīvitāḥ | yudhiṣṭhirake bāṇa-samūhaiḥ ācchāditāḥ tava sainikāḥ akṣiṇī nimīlya parasparaṃ eva anyonyaṃ vyathayitvā atyanta-pīḍitā abhavan | tadā dehebhyaḥ rudhira-dhārāḥ kṣarantas te astrāṇi śastrāṇi ca jīvitaṃ ca parityajya iva vinaṣṭāḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Diselimuti rentetan panah Yudhiṣṭhira, prajuritmu memejamkan mata karena takut dan kacau. Dalam himpitan pertempuran mereka saling melukai, menderita hebat. Darah mengalir dari tubuh mereka; seakan-akan mereka kehilangan senjata sekaligus nyawa.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war, especially when driven by adharma and sustained by stubbornness, collapses into chaos where fear overrides discernment. Ethically, it underscores that violence rebounds: confusion and panic can make people harm their own, revealing the inner cost of conflict beyond mere victory or defeat.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Yudhishthira’s arrow volleys overwhelm the Kaurava troops. In terror they shut their eyes, lose formation, and end up injuring one another. Bleeding heavily, they are described as having effectively lost both weapons and life.