Shloka 9
ततो बल॑ भारत भारतानां प्रदह्ममानं समरे महात्मना
tato balaṃ bhārata bhāratānāṃ pradahyamānaṃ samare mahātmanā
Sañjaya said: Then, O Bhārata, in the midst of the battle, the might of the Bhāratas began to be consumed—set ablaze by that great-souled warrior. The line underscores how a single formidable combatant can turn warfare into a moral and human catastrophe, where collective strength is reduced through destructive prowess rather than righteous restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of martial power: in war, extraordinary prowess can rapidly annihilate collective strength, reminding readers that victory achieved through sheer destruction carries grave human and moral costs.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, at that point in the battle, the Bhārata forces were being ‘burned up’—devastated—by a great warrior’s onslaught, indicating a sudden and severe turning of the tide.