Shloka 61
भीष्मस्य मध्याह्नयुद्धवर्णनम् / Mid-day Battle Description: Bhīṣma Engaged by the Pāñcālas
बद्धचूडामणिवरै: शिरोभिश्व सकुण्डलै: । पातितैर््नषभाक्षाणां बभौ भारत मेदिनी,भारत! रणभूमिमें गिरे हुए बैलके समान विशाल नेत्रोंवाले वेगशाली वीरोंकी दस्तानों और केयूरोंसे युक्त चन्दनचर्चित भुजाओंसे, हाथीकी सूँड़के समान प्रतीत होनेवाली छिन्न- भिन्न हुई जाँघोंसे तथा उत्तम चूड़ामणि (मुकुट)-से आबद्ध कुण्डलमण्डित मस्तकोंसे वहाँकी भूमि अद्भुत शोभा पा रही थी
baddhacūḍāmaṇivaraiḥ śirobhiś ca sakuṇḍalaiḥ | pātitair nṛṣabhākṣāṇāṃ babhau bhārata medinī ||
Sañjaya said: O Bhārata, the earth on that battlefield shone with a strange, dreadful splendor—strewn with the fallen heads of mighty warriors, bound with excellent crest-jewels and adorned with earrings, and with the bodies of bull-eyed heroes cast down. The verse underscores the moral cost of war: even the most splendid marks of rank and valor become mere ornaments of ruin when dharma is eclipsed by slaughter.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the impermanence of worldly glory: ornaments and insignia of honor (jewels, earrings) become mere debris amid slaughter, reminding the listener of the ethical and human cost of war even when fought under the banner of kṣatriya duty.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: the ground is covered with fallen heads of warriors, still adorned with crest-jewels and earrings, creating an eerie splendor that conveys the scale and horror of the fighting.