Shloka 85
रजसा तमसा चैव योधा: संछन्नचक्षुष: । कश्मलं प्राविशन् घोरं नान्वजानन् परस्परम्
rajasā tamasā caiva yodhāḥ saṁchannacakṣuṣaḥ | kaśmalaṁ prāviśan ghoraṁ nānvajānān parasparam ||
Sañjaya said: Blinded alike by dust and darkness, the warriors’ sight was veiled. They fell into a dreadful confusion, no longer able to recognize one another—so war’s turmoil eclipsed discernment and turned comrades and foes into indistinguishable shadows.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
When rajas (agitated passion) and tamas (deluding darkness) dominate, discernment collapses: even basic recognition and moral clarity fail. The verse highlights how the conditions of war—externally dust and darkness, internally passion and delusion—can drive people into kaśmala, a state where right judgment and humane restraint are endangered.
Sañjaya describes a moment in the battle when dust and darkness obscure vision. The fighters, unable to see clearly, enter a terrifying confusion and cannot distinguish friend from foe, indicating the battlefield’s extreme disorder and the heightened risk of unintended harm.