Shloka 13
अयमर्जुनो<यं गोविन्द इमौ पाण्डवयादवौ । इति ब्रुवाणा: सम्मूढा जध्नुरन्योन्यमाहवे,ये अर्जुन हैं, ये श्रीकृष्ण हैं, ये दोनों अर्जुन और श्रीकृष्ण हैं--इस प्रकार बोलते हुए वे मोहाच्छन्न हो युद्धमें एक-दूसरेपर आघात करने लगे
ayam arjuno ’yaṃ govinda imau pāṇḍava-yādavau | iti bruvāṇāḥ sammūḍhā jadhnur anyonyam āhave ||
Sañjaya said: “This is Arjuna; this is Govinda; these two are the Pāṇḍava and the Yādava.” Saying such things, the warriors—their minds clouded by delusion—fell upon one another in the battle, striking each other. The scene underscores how confusion and misperception in war can overturn discernment and drive men into self-destructive violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
When perception is distorted by moha (delusion), even clear identities and loyalties collapse, leading to adharma-like outcomes such as mutual violence. The verse highlights the ethical danger of confusion in war: loss of discrimination (viveka) can make combatants harm their own side and abandon right conduct.
Sañjaya reports that fighters on the battlefield, bewildered, keep pointing out and naming Arjuna and Govinda, and in that confused state they begin attacking one another. The line depicts a moment of chaos where recognition fails and the battle turns into mutual striking among those present.