Shloka 18
दह्यृतीव शरीरं मे संवृतस्य तवेषुभि: । मर्माणि परिदूयन्ते मुखं च परिशुष्यति,“अर्जुन! तुम्हारे बाणोंसे मेरे सम्पूर्ण अंग बिंधे हुए हैं; अतः मेरा यह शरीर दग्ध-सा हो रहा है। सारे मर्मस्थानोंमें अत्यन्त पीड़ा हो रही है। मुँह सूखता जा रहा है
dahyatīva śarīraṁ me saṁvṛtasya tavēṣubhiḥ | marmāṇi paridūyante mukhaṁ ca pariśuṣyati ||
Sañjaya said: “My body feels as though it is burning, for it is completely covered by your arrows. My vital joints and vulnerable points throb with intense pain, and my mouth is drying up.” The verse underscores the stark moral weight of battle: even rightful warfare (dharma-yuddha) entails real suffering, and the warrior must face the consequences of violence with clarity and restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tangible suffering produced by warfare: even when fighting is undertaken as duty, it brings pain and depletion. It implicitly calls for sobriety, self-control, and ethical awareness about the cost of violence.
In the midst of battle, the speaker describes being overwhelmed by Arjuna’s arrows—his body feels scorched, his vital points ache, and his mouth dries up—conveying the intensity of Arjuna’s assault and the physical toll of combat.