Shloka 11
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — दुर्योधनस्य ह्रदप्रवेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue: Duryodhana’s Entry into the Lake
ऋषिभि: शक्तिभिश्रैव सासिप्रासपरश्रथै: । संछन्ना पृथिवी जज्ञे कुसुमै: शबला इव,मान्यवर नरेश! घुड़सवारोंसहित मारे गये घोड़ोंके शरीरों, कटे हुए कवचों, टूक-टूक हुए प्रासों, ऋष्टियों, शक्तियों, खड़गों, भालों और फरसोंसे ढकी हुई पृथ्वी बहुरंगी फलोंसे आच्छादित हो चितकबरी हुई-सी जान पड़ती थी
sañjaya uvāca |
ṛṣibhīḥ śaktibhiś caiva sāsiprāsaparaśvathaiḥ |
sañchannā pṛthivī jajñe kusumaiḥ śabalā iva ||
Sañjaya said: The earth appeared completely covered with spears and javelins, with swords, lances, and axes; it looked as though it had become mottled and variegated, like the ground strewn with many-colored flowers. The image underscores the moral horror of war: instruments meant for protection and valor now lie scattered as lifeless debris, turning the battlefield into a grim parody of natural beauty.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse offers an ethical contrast: the battlefield can look aesthetically ‘flower-strewn,’ yet it is actually covered with weapons and the aftermath of killing. It cautions against mistaking outward spectacle for goodness, highlighting the grim reality and moral cost of war.
Sañjaya narrates to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the दृश्य of the battlefield: the ground is blanketed with scattered weapons—spears, javelins, swords, pikes, and axes—so densely and variously that it resembles earth covered with multicolored flowers.