Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
ततो<5भवत्तमो घोर सैन्येन रजसा वृते । तानपाक्रमतोडद्राक्ष॑ं तस्माद् देशादरिंदम
tato 'bhavat tamo ghoraṃ sainyena rajasā vṛte | tān apākrāmato 'drākṣaṃ tasmād deśād ariṃdama śatrudamana nareśa |
ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ನಂತರ ಸೇನೆಯಿಂದ ಎದ್ದ ಧೂಳಿನಿಂದ ಎಲ್ಲೆಡೆ ಭೀಕರ ಅಂಧಕಾರ ಆವರಿಸಿತು. ಅರಿಂದಮ ರಾಜನೇ, ಆಗ ಅನೇಕ ಯೋಧರು ಆ ಸ್ಥಳದಿಂದ ಓಡಿ ಹಿಂತಿರುಗುತ್ತಿರುವುದನ್ನು ನಾವು ಕಂಡೆವು.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights how the chaos of war—dust, darkness, and panic—can overwhelm perception and morale, leading even trained fighters to retreat; it underscores the ethical gravity of battle where fear and confusion rapidly spread.
Sañjaya reports to the king that a thick, terrifying darkness formed because the army raised massive dust, and in that obscurity many warriors were seen fleeing from the battlefield area.