Shloka 15
Adhyāya 140: Rātriyuddhe Droṇa-prāpti-prayatnaḥ
Night engagement and the attempt to reach Droṇa
ततः प्रावर्तत नदी घोररूपा रणाजिरे । शूराणां हर्षजननी भीरूणां भयवर्धिनी,तदनन्तर रणभूमिमें रक्तकी भयंकर नदी बह चली, जो शूरवीरोंको हर्ष देनेवाली और भीरु पुरुषोंका भय बढ़ानेवाली थी
tataḥ prāvartata nadī ghorarūpā raṇājire | śūrāṇāṃ harṣajananī bhīrūṇāṃ bhayavardhinī ||
Sañjaya said: Then, upon the battlefield, a dreadful river began to flow—made of blood—bringing exhilaration to the valiant while intensifying the terror of the fearful. The scene underscores how war magnifies inner disposition: courage finds grim resolve, whereas timidity is overwhelmed by dread amid the same carnage.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that the same external event—war’s horrific carnage—affects people according to their inner nature: the brave are stirred to fierce resolve and exhilaration, while the timid are consumed by fear. It implicitly warns that violence deforms the moral landscape and tests one’s steadiness (dhairya) and discernment.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield becoming so drenched with blood that it is poetically depicted as a terrifying river flowing across the war-ground, a spectacle that emboldens warriors yet frightens the fearful.