Shloka 52
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
क्षणेन स रथस्तस्य सहय: सहसारथि: । शरवर्षेण महता संछन्नो न प्रकाशते,उस महान् बाण-वर्षासे एक ही क्षणमें घोड़े और सारथिसहित आच्छादित होकर अर्जुनका रथ किसीकी दृष्टिमें नहीं आता था
kṣaṇena sa rathas tasya sahayaḥ sahasārathiḥ | śaravarṣeṇa mahatā saṃchanno na prakāśate ||
Sañjaya said: In a single moment, his chariot—together with its horses and charioteer—was so completely covered by a great shower of arrows that it could no longer be seen. The scene underscores how, in war, skill and force can momentarily eclipse even a renowned warrior’s presence, turning the battlefield into a test of endurance, composure, and duty amid overwhelming violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the overwhelming and impersonal force of warfare: even a chariot with its full crew can vanish under a storm of arrows. Ethically, it points to the harsh reality in which duty (kṣātra-dharma) is carried out amid chaos, demanding steadiness and resolve rather than pride in visibility or fame.
Sañjaya describes a moment on the battlefield when a mighty barrage of arrows falls so densely that the chariot—along with horses and charioteer—becomes completely obscured and cannot be seen.