Shloka 8
अध्याय २९: कर्णस्य शल्यं प्रति शापस्मरणं च युद्धनिश्चयः | Chapter 29: Karṇa recalls curses to Śalya and declares resolve for battle
नरदेव! तदनन्तर आपके सैनिक तथा देवकुमारोंके समान तेजस्वी कुरुकुलभूषण आपके पुत्र असंख्य सेना साथ लेकर रणभूमिमें शिनिपौत्र सात्यकिपर चढ़ आये ।। तदतिरुधिरभीममाबभौ पुरुषवराश्च॒रथद्विपाकुलम् । लवणजलसमुद्धतस्वनं बलमसुरामरसैन्यसप्र भम्,पैदल मनुष्यों, श्रेष्ठ घोड़ों, रथों और हाथियोंसे भरी और खारे पानीके समुद्रके समान भयंकर गर्जना करनेवाली वह सेना अत्यन्त रक्तरंजित होकर देवताओं और असुरोंकी सेनाके समान भयानक प्रतीत होती थी
sañjaya uvāca |
naradeva! tadanantaraṁ tava sainikāḥ devakumārāṇām iva tejasvinaḥ kurukulabhūṣaṇāḥ putrāś ca asaṅkhyena balena saha raṇabhūmau śiniputraṁ sātyakim abhyadhāvan ||
sa tad-atirudhirabhīmam ābabhau puruṣavaraiś ca rathadvipākulam |
lavaṇajalasa-mud-dhata-svanaṁ balam asurāmarasainyasaprabham ||
Sañjaya said: “O king, thereafter your warriors—together with your sons, the radiant ornaments of the Kuru line, blazing like the sons of the gods—advanced on the battlefield against Śiniputra Sātyaki, bringing with them an innumerable host. That force appeared exceedingly dreadful, drenched in blood, crowded with excellent men, horses, chariots, and elephants; it roared like the salt ocean in upheaval, and seemed terrifying—like the armies of gods and demons locked in combat.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war magnifies collective pride and lineage-glory into a terrifying spectacle: an ‘innumerable’ host, roaring like the ocean, becomes blood-drenched and god–demon-like in ferocity. Ethically, it hints at the dehumanizing momentum of battle—where splendor (tejas) and lineage honor (kuru-kula-bhūṣaṇa) coexist with escalating violence.
Sañjaya reports to the king that, after the preceding events, the Kaurava forces—along with Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s sons and many troops—charge toward Sātyaki (called Śiniputra). The army is depicted as densely packed with infantry, horses, chariots, and elephants, roaring like a turbulent salt ocean and appearing fearsome like the clashing hosts of gods and asuras.