Shloka 36
Aśvatthāmā’s Lamentation, Vow of Retaliation, and the Manifestation of the Nārāyaṇāstra (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६६)
नैवास्माभिस्तथा पूर्वर्दृष्टपूर्व तथाविधम् । श्रुतं वा यादृशं युद्धमासीद् रौद्रं भयानकम्,हमने तथा पूर्ववर्ती लोगोंने भी वैसा रौद्र एवं भयानक युद्ध न तो पहले कभी देखा था और न सुना ही था, जैसा कि वह युद्ध हो रहा था
naivāsmābhis tathā pūrvaṁ dṛṣṭapūrvaṁ tathāvidham | śrutaṁ vā yādṛśaṁ yuddham āsīd raudraṁ bhayānakam ||
Sanjaya said: Never before had we witnessed—nor even heard of—such a battle as this: a war so fierce and terrifying, unfolding before our eyes. The violence exceeded all earlier experience, marking a dreadful turning-point in the struggle.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral shock of war: even seasoned witnesses find the violence unprecedented. It implicitly warns that when conflict crosses limits, it becomes a force of terror rather than a righteous contest, challenging any easy justification.
Sanjaya, narrating events to Dhritarashtra, reports that the battle has become extraordinarily fierce and frightening—beyond anything previously seen or even heard of—signaling an extreme escalation in the Kurukshetra war.