Shloka 5
Gadāyuddhe Kṛṣṇopadeśaḥ (Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel in the Mace-Duel) — Śalya-parva 57
तथा तस्मिन् महायुद्धे वर्तमाने सुदारुणे । खटद्योतसंघैरिव खं दर्शनीयं व्यरोचत
tathā tasmin mahāyuddhe vartamāne sudāruṇe | khaṭadyotasaṅghair iva khaṃ darśanīyaṃ vyarocata ||
അത്യന്തം ദാരുണമായ ആ മഹായുദ്ധം തുടരുമ്പോൾ, ആകാശം ഖടദ്യോതങ്ങളുടെ (മിന്നാമിനുങ്ങുകളുടെ) കൂട്ടങ്ങളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞതുപോലെ ദർശനീയമായി പ്രകാശിച്ചു।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral dissonance of war: even when violence is at its most dreadful, nature and perception may present a captivating beauty. This contrast cautions against confusing outward splendor with righteousness, keeping attention on the ethical gravity of destruction.
Sañjaya describes the ongoing, extremely fierce battle and uses a simile: the sky appears radiant and visually striking, as if filled with swarms of fireflies—an image that conveys both brightness and the dense, flickering tumult of the battlefield atmosphere.