Shloka 13
Nakula’s Engagement with Citra-sena and Karṇa’s Sons; Śalya Re-stabilizes the Kaurava Host
तेषां तु वाजिनां भूमि: खुरैश्षित्रा विशाम्पते । अशोभत यथा नारी करजै: क्षतविक्षता,प्रजानाथ! उन घोड़ोंकी टापोंसे खुदी हुई भूमि प्रियतमके नखोंसे क्षत-विक्षत हुई नारीके समान विचित्र शोभा धारण करती थी
teṣāṃ tu vājināṃ bhūmiḥ khuraiś citrā viśāṃpate | aśobhat yathā nārī karajaiḥ kṣata-vikṣatā prajānātha ||
Wahai pelindung rakyat, tanah yang terukir dan tercabik oleh derap kuku kuda-kuda itu tampak indah secara ganjil—laksana tubuh seorang wanita yang tergores dan memar oleh kuku-kuku kekasihnya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war can make even destruction appear ‘beautiful’ through poetic perception, warning that aesthetic fascination can mask ethical harm; it also reflects the epic’s habit of juxtaposing sensual imagery with the grim reality of battle.
Sanjaya reports to the king that the battlefield ground has been churned and patterned by the hooves of horses; he compares the marked earth to a woman scratched by her lover’s nails, emphasizing the intensity and tumult of the fighting.