Shloka 883
युधिष्ठिरस्य धनंजय-प्रति गर्हा
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Reproach to Dhanaṃjaya
विषाद: सुमहानासीत् प्राय: सैन्यस्थ भारत । भारत! सब ओर फैली और बढ़ी हुई उस रक्त-राशिकी गन्धसे, स्पर्शसे, रससे, रूपसे और शब्दसे भी प्राय: सारी सेनाके मनमें बड़ा विषाद हो रहा था
sañjaya uvāca | viṣādaḥ sumahān āsīt prāyaḥ sainyastha bhārata | bhārata! sarvato vyāptāyāḥ vardhitāyāś ca rakta-rāśeḥ gandhena sparśena rasena rūpeṇa śabdena ca prāyaḥ sarva-senyāyā manasi mahān viṣādo 'bhavat |
Sanjaya said: O Bharata, a very great dejection arose among the troops. O descendant of Bharata, as the vast heaps of blood spread everywhere and grew, their very smell, touch, taste, appearance, and even the sounds associated with them overwhelmed nearly the whole army’s mind with profound despair—revealing how war’s tangible horrors crush courage and moral steadiness alike.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical and psychological cost of war: when violence becomes pervasive, its sensory realities—blood, stench, and dreadful sounds—can shatter morale and awaken deep remorse or despair, reminding readers that victory is inseparable from suffering and moral burden.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that on the battlefield, as blood spread in great quantities, nearly the entire army became overwhelmed by intense dejection due to the horrific sensory experience of the carnage.