Shloka 16
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
विकीर्णै: कवचैश्षित्रै: शिरस्त्राणैश्न मारिष । शुशुभे तद् रणस्थानं शरदीव नभस्तलम्,माननीय महाराज! इधर-उधर बिखरे हुए विचित्र कवचों तथा शिरस्त्राणों (लोहेके टोपों)-से वह रणभूमि शरद-ऋतुमें तारिकाओंसे विभूषित आकाशकी भाँति शोभा पाने लगी
sañjaya uvāca | vikīrṇaiḥ kavacaiś citraiḥ śirastrāṇaiś ca māriṣa | śuśubhe tad raṇasthānaṃ śaradīva nabhastalam ||
Sañjaya said: O revered one, that battlefield, strewn in all directions with variegated coats of mail and helmets, shone brilliantly—like the autumn sky adorned with stars. The image underscores the grim splendor of war: objects meant to protect life now lie scattered, turning the field into a dazzling yet morally sobering spectacle of destruction.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse offers a moral contrast: war can appear outwardly magnificent, yet that beauty is built from the remnants of harm—discarded armour and helmets. It invites reflection on the cost of conflict and the impermanence of bodily protection amid fate and violence.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describes the battlefield after intense fighting. Armour and helmets lie scattered everywhere, and the field gleams in a way compared to the star-filled autumn sky.