Shloka 38
आयोधनदर्शनम्
Viewing the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra
बिभ्रत: कवचान्यन्ये विमलान्यायुधानि च । न धर्षयन्ति क्रव्यादा जीवन्तीति जनार्दन,“जनार्दन! बहुत-से योद्धा चमकीले कवच और आयुध धारण किये हुए हैं, जिससे उन्हें जीवित समझकर मांसभक्षी जन्तु उनपर आक्रमण नहीं करते हैं
bibhrataḥ kavacāny anye vimalāny āyudhāni ca | na dharṣayanti kravyādā jīvantīti janārdana ||
Waiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai Janārdana, banyak kesatria masih mengenakan zirah yang berkilau dan senjata yang bersih tanpa noda. Melihat mereka demikian lengkap bersenjata, makhluk pemakan daging tidak berani menyerang, karena mengira mereka masih hidup.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the tragic irony of war: outward signs of life—shining armor and intact weapons—can mask death, reminding the listener of impermanence and the ethical weight of violence and its aftermath.
In the battlefield aftermath, some fallen warriors still appear ‘alive’ because they remain clad in bright armor and weapons; therefore scavenging flesh-eaters hesitate to approach, mistaking them for living fighters.