Shloka 36
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सात्यकि-अलम्बुसयोर्युद्धवर्णनम्
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue; Account of Sātyaki vs Alambusa
एतदालोक्यते सैन्यमावन्त्यानां महाप्रभम्,“यह अवन्न्तिनिवासियोंकी अत्यन्त तेजस्विनी सेना दिखायी देती है। इसके बाद यह दाक्षिणात्योंकी विशाल सेना है। उसके पश्चात् यह बाह्िकोंकी विशाल वाहिनी है
etad ālokyate sainyam āvantyānāṁ mahāprabham |
Sañjaya said: “Behold this exceedingly radiant and formidable host of the Avantis. Next is seen the vast army of the southern peoples; and after that, the great battalion of the Bāhlīkas.” In the moral atmosphere of the war, the verse underscores the immense, many-sided human force being marshalled—an outward spectacle of power that contrasts with the inward ethical weight of the conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse offers no direct doctrinal instruction; its ethical resonance lies in highlighting the sheer scale and diversity of forces gathered for war, inviting reflection on how worldly splendor and power can be mobilized toward destructive ends, thereby intensifying the dharmic gravity of the conflict.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, points out successive contingents on the battlefield—first the radiant Avanti host, then the large southern army, and then the Bāhlīka battalion—cataloguing the assembled forces in the Drona Parva war scene.