Shloka 7
Adhyāya 74 (Book 6, Bhīṣma-parva): Bhīma–Duryodhana re-engagement and afternoon escalation
चण्डवातो यथा मेघ: सविद्युत्स्तनयित्नुमान् । दिश: सम्प्लावयन् सर्वा: शरवर्ष: समनन््तत:ः
caṇḍavāto yathā meghaḥ savidyut-stanayitnumān | diśaḥ samplāvayan sarvāḥ śaravarṣaḥ samanantataḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Seperti angin ganas mengheret awan yang berkilat petir dan mengaum guruh, demikianlah hujan anak panah meluru tanpa penghujung, menenggelami segala penjuru—ribut perang yang menyapu, tidak membiarkan satu arah pun terselamat.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical gravity of war by portraying its violence as a natural catastrophe: once unleashed, it spreads indiscriminately in all directions. The imagery cautions that martial power, like a storm, can overwhelm boundaries and restraint, reminding listeners of the need for dharmic control and responsibility in conflict.
Sañjaya narrates the battlefield scene to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, describing an unceasing, all-encompassing barrage of arrows. He compares it to a storm-cloud driven by fierce winds, with lightning and thunder, to convey the intensity and inescapability of the fighting.