Shloka 23
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ९६: सौभद्रस्य आक्रमणम्, अलम्बुसस्य प्रतिविधानम्
Abhimanyu’s assault; Alambusa’s counter-engagement
सहसा चाभववत् तीव्रं संनिपातान्महद् रज: । गजाश्वरथपत्तीनां पदनेमिसमुद्धतम्
sahasā cābhavattīvraṃ saṃnipātān mahad rajaḥ | gajāśvarathapattīnāṃ padanemisamuddhatam ||
ആ ഭീകര സംനിപാതത്തിൽ നിന്ന് സഹസാ അതിതീവ്രമായി മഹത്തായ ധൂളി ഉയർന്നു—ആന, കുതിര, രഥം, പാദാതി എന്നിവയുടെ പാദങ്ങളും കുതിരക്കുളമ്പുകളും രഥചക്രനേമികളുടെ ഉരുളലും ഉയർത്തിയത്।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores a moral-narrative insight: when conflict erupts, it rapidly generates conditions—confusion, obscured vision, loss of discernment—that affect everyone. It implicitly warns that violence does not remain clean or controlled; it spreads disorder and moral haze along with physical dust.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that as the armies close in and collide, a massive dust-cloud suddenly rises, stirred by the trampling of elephants and horses, the movement of chariots, and the marching of infantry—signaling the intensity and scale of the engagement.