Shloka 166
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ६६: तुमुलसंग्रामवर्णनम्
The Tumult of Battle Described
अदृश्यत महारीौद्रा गदा नागाश्चव॒पातनी । हाथियों और घोड़ोंको मार गिरानेवाली उनकी वह गदा भी मज्जा, वसा, मांस तथा रक्तमें सनकर बड़ी भयानक दिखायी देती थी
adṛśyata mahāraudrā gadā nāgāś ca vapātanī |
Sañjaya said: That mace appeared exceedingly dreadful—an instrument that could bring down even elephants. Smeared with marrow, fat, flesh, and blood, it looked terrifying, underscoring the brutal, dehumanizing momentum of battle and the moral weight borne by those who wield such force.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the terrifying reality of war: weapons become symbols of moral burden as they are stained with the bodily remains of the slain. It implicitly invites reflection on kṣatriya-duty versus the ethical cost of violence.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra a vivid battlefield sight: a fearsome mace capable of felling elephants, now smeared with marrow, fat, flesh, and blood, appearing especially dreadful amid the carnage.