Shloka 8
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — दुर्योधनस्य ह्रदप्रवेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue: Duryodhana’s Entry into the Lake
ताभ्यां शरशतैश्छन्न॑ं तद् बलं तव भारत । सान्धकारमिवाकाशमभवत् तत्र तत्र ह,भरतनन्दन! उन दोनोंके सैकड़ों बाणोंसे ढकी हुई आपकी सेना जहाँ-तहाँ अन्धकारपूर्ण आकाशके समान प्रतीत होती थी
sañjaya uvāca |
tābhyāṃ śaraśataiś channaṃ tad balaṃ tava bhārata |
sāndhakāram ivākāśam abhavat tatra tatra ha bharatanandana ||
Sañjaya said: O Bhārata, your army, covered by hundreds of arrows shot by those two, appeared here and there like a sky thick with darkness, O joy of the Bharatas. The image underscores how the violence of battle can eclipse clarity and courage, as if righteousness itself is momentarily obscured by the storm of weapons.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a stark simile—an army hidden under a rain of arrows like a sky thick with darkness—to show how war can overwhelm perception and morale, momentarily obscuring discernment and the sense of dharma amid violence.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava force was being heavily showered with arrows by two warriors, so that in different parts of the field the army looked as though it were veiled in darkness.