Shloka 21
Kuru-Sainika-Āśvāsana and Vijayaghoṣaṇa
Reassuring the Kuru Soldiers; Proclaiming Victory
शरसंघमहावर्ता नागनक्रां दुरत्ययाम् । महारथमहाद्वीपां शड्खदुन्दुभिनि:स्वनाम् | चकार च तदा पार्थों नदीं दुस्तरशोणिताम्,बाणोंके समूह बड़ी-बड़ी भँवरें थे। हाथी घड़ियालों-से जान पड़ते थे; अत: उसके पार जाना अत्यन्त कठिन था। बड़े-बड़े रथ उसके भीतर विशाल टापू-जैसे प्रतीत होते थे। शंख और नगाड़ोंकी आवाज ही उस नदीकी कलकल ध्वनि थी। इस प्रकार अर्जुनने वहाँ खूनकी दुर्लड्घ्य नदी बहा दी
śarasaṅgha-mahāvartā nāga-nakrāṁ duratyayām | mahāratha-mahādvīpāṁ śaṅkha-dundubhi-niḥsvanām || cakāra ca tadā pārtho nadīṁ dustara-śoṇitām |
Waiśampāyana berkata: Lalu Pārtha menciptakan di sana sungai darah yang sukar diseberangi. Pusaran besarnya adalah gumpalan anak panah; gajah dan “buaya” berupa binatang perang membuatnya berbahaya dilintasi. Kereta-kereta besar berdiri di dalamnya seperti pulau-pulau luas; dan pekik sangkha serta dentum dundubhi menjadi gemuruh sungai itu sendiri.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a powerful metaphor to show the moral weight and terrifying consequences of warfare: when a warrior fulfills kṣatriya-duty, the battlefield can become like a natural catastrophe—suggesting both the inevitability of conflict in certain dharmic contexts and the grave human cost that accompanies it.
Vaiśampāyana describes Arjuna’s overwhelming martial prowess: his arrows, chariots, and the din of conches and drums are poetically recast as features of a fearsome ‘river of blood’—with whirlpools, crocodiles, and islands—emphasizing how difficult it is for enemies to withstand or cross his onslaught.