Shloka 51
भीष्मस्य मध्याह्नयुद्धवर्णनम् / Mid-day Battle Description: Bhīṣma Engaged by the Pāñcālas
सुवर्णविकृतप्रासान् पट्टिशान् हेमभूषितान् । जातरूपमयारश्षष्टी: शक्तीक्ष कनकोज्ज्वला:,सुवर्णभूषित प्रास, स्वर्णजटित पट्टिश, सोनेकी बनी हुई ऋष्टियाँ तथा स्वर्णभूषित चमकीली शक्तियाँ यत्र-तत्र पड़ी हुई थीं
sañjaya uvāca | suvarṇa-vikṛta-prāsān paṭṭiśān hema-bhūṣitān | jātarūpa-mayā ṛṣṭīḥ śaktīś ca kanakojjvalāḥ yatra-tatra paṭitā āsan |
Sañjaya said: “There lay scattered here and there spears fashioned with gold, axes adorned with gold, lances made of refined gold, and bright, gold-gleaming javelins.” The scene underscores the terrible splendor of war: wealth and craftsmanship, meant for honor and display, are turned into instruments of killing and left strewn across the battlefield.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the grim irony of war: even the finest wealth and artistry (gold-adorned weapons) culminate in destruction and are left scattered. It implicitly points to the transience of material splendor and the heavy moral cost of violence.
Sañjaya is reporting to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the battlefield scene, describing how gold-worked and gold-decorated weapons—spears, axes, lances, and javelins—are lying fallen in many places after intense fighting.