Shloka 21
Śalya’s Objection to Sārathya and Duryodhana’s Conciliation (शल्यमन्यु-प्रशमनम् / Sārathyāṅgīkāra)
ततो बाणमयं जाल विततं व्योम्नि दृश्यते । खटद्योतानामिव व्रातैः सम्पतद्धिर्यथा नभ:,तत्पश्चात् आकाशमें बाणोंका जाल-सा बिछा हुआ दिखायी देने लगा, मानो वहाँ जुगनुओंके समूह उड़ रहे हों
tato bāṇamayaṃ jālaṃ vitataṃ vyomni dṛśyate | khaṭadyotānām iva vrātaiḥ sampataddhir yathā nabhaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: Kemudian, terbentang di langit, tampak seakan-akan suatu jala yang teranyam daripada anak panah—hingga cakrawala kelihatan seperti dipenuhi kawanan kunang-kunang yang meluru dan berhimpun. Begitu padatnya hujan senjata, seolah-olah langit sendiri menjadi kain tenunan maut.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse does not state a direct moral injunction; it intensifies the ethical atmosphere of war by showing how martial prowess can saturate the very sky with weapons. It implicitly invites reflection on the scale of violence and the consequences of choosing conflict.
Sanjaya describes the battlefield moment when volleys of arrows become so numerous that they form a net-like spread across the sky, resembling swarms of fireflies in motion.