Shloka 27
अभिमन्यु-परिवेष्टनम्
Encirclement and Counterassault of Abhimanyu
तैः स्फुरद्धिर्महाराज शुशुभे भू: सुलोहितै: । पज्चास्यै: पन्नगैश्छिन्नैर्गरुडेनेव मारिष,आदरणीय महाराज! खूनसे लथपथ होकर तड़पती हुई उन भुजाओंसे इस पृथ्वीकी वैसी ही शोभा हो रही थी, जैसे गरुड़के द्वारा छिन्न-भिन्न किये हुए पाँच मुखवाले सर्पोंके शरीरोंसे आच्छादित हुई वसुधा सुशोभित होती है
taiḥ sphuraddhir mahārāja śuśubhe bhūḥ sulohitaiḥ | pañcāsyaiḥ pannagaiś chinnair garuḍeneva māriṣa ||
サञ्जयは言った。「大王よ、血のように赤いその四肢がなお痙攣しつつ散らばり、大地はそれによって輝いて見えた。まるでガルダ（Garuḍa）に切り刻まれた五つの頭を持つ蛇の屍が地を飾るかのようであった――この比喩は、戦の恐るべき壮麗さと、武勇を示しながらも世界を血で汚す暴力の道義的重みを際立たせる。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a vivid simile to highlight the grim paradox of war: the battlefield can appear 'splendid' in a purely visual, heroic sense, yet that splendor is inseparable from bloodshed and suffering. It implicitly invites reflection on the ethical burden (pāpa/duḥkha) that accompanies violence, even when performed within the conventions of kṣatriya warfare.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: severed, blood-soaked limbs still twitch on the ground, making the earth look striking. He compares this scene to the earth covered with the chopped bodies of five-hooded serpents slain by Garuḍa, intensifying the sense of carnage and relentless destruction.