Shloka 2636
कर्णपर्व — चतुर्दशोऽध्यायः
Arjuna’s Suppression of the Saṃśaptakas; Kṛṣṇa’s Strategic Admonition; Battlefield Inventory
सविस्फुलिड्ो दीप्तार्चियों<दहद् वाहिनीद्वयम् । भरतनन्दन! वहाँ बाणोंके परस्पर टकरानेसे चिनगारियों तथा प्रज्वलित लपटोंके साथ आग प्रकट हो गयी, जो दोनों सेनाओंको दग्ध किये देती थी
sa-visphuliṅgo dīptārciryo 'dahad vāhinī-dvayam | bharata-nandana! tatra bāṇānāṁ paraspara-ṭakkarāṇāt cinagāribhiḥ prajvalita-lapaṭābhiś ca saha agnir āvirabhavat, yaḥ ubhayīṁ senām dagdhum iva pravavṛte |
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai kebanggaan keturunan Bharata, di sana pertembungan anak panah sesama sendiri menimbulkan api—dengan percikan dan lidah-lidah nyala yang menyala—hingga seolah-olah membakar kedua-dua bala tentera.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the self-escalating nature of violence: when weapons meet, destruction expands beyond intention, harming both sides. Ethically, it warns that adharma-driven conflict generates indiscriminate suffering, making the battlefield a place where consequences consume friend and foe alike.
Sanjaya describes an intense moment in the Kurukṣetra war where arrows collide midair. From their impact arise sparks and flames, as if fire itself has manifested on the field, seemingly burning through both armies.