Shloka 233
उपायैः पूर्ववधकथनम् / Strategic Justifications for Prior Eliminations
नापश्याम रजो भौम॑ कश्मलेनाभिसंवृता: । मनुष्यों, घोड़ों और हाथियोंके रक्तमें सन जानेके कारण हमें धरतीकी धूल दिखायी नहीं देती थी। हम सब लोगोंपर मोह-सा छा गया था
sañjaya uvāca |
nāpaśyāma rajo bhaumaṁ kaśmalenābhisaṁvṛtāḥ |
ສັນຊະຍະກ່າວວ່າ: ພວກເຮົາບໍ່ອາດເຫັນຝຸ່ນດິນທີ່ເກີດຈາກພື້ນດິນໄດ້ ເພາະຖືກຄວາມຫຼົງມົວຫໍ້ຫຸ້ມ. ເມື່ອເລືອດຂອງຄົນ ມ້າ ແລະຊ້າງ ຊຶມຊາບເຮັດໃຫ້ທຸກຢ່າງຄ້ຳຄືນ ແມ່ນແຕ່ຝຸ່ນຂອງພື້ນດິນກໍບໍ່ປາກົດ; ຄວາມຫຼົງມົວດັ່ງມາຍາຈຶ່ງແຜ່ຄຸມພວກເຮົາທັງໝົດທ່າມກາງການນອງເລືອດ.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how war generates not only physical obscurity (dust and blood) but also inner obscurity (kaśmala—bewilderment). Ethical perception becomes clouded amid mass violence, suggesting that adharma-like confusion can overtake even observers when destruction dominates the scene.
Sañjaya reports the battlefield condition: the ground’s dust cannot be seen because everything is soaked and darkened by blood from humans, horses, and elephants, and the witnesses feel overwhelmed by a spreading delusion or stupefaction caused by the horrific intensity of the fighting.