Shloka 6
भीमसेनस्य वेगाभिपातः—विशोकसारथिसंवादश्च
Bhīma’s surge and dialogue with charioteer Viśoka
तेनच्छन्नं नभो राजन् बाणजालेन भास्वता । अभ्रच्छायेव संजज्ञे बाणरुद्धे नभस्तले,राजन! उन प्रकाशमान बाणसमूहोंसे सारा आकाशमण्डल ढक गया था। बाणोंसे रुँधे हुए आकाशकमें मेघोंकी छाया-सी बन गयी थी
tenācchannaṃ nabho rājan bāṇajālena bhāsvatā | abhracchāyeva saṃjajñe bāṇaruddhe nabhastale ||
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, langit seluruhnya terselubung oleh jala anak panah yang bercahaya. Tatkala kubah langit tersumbat oleh hujan anak panah itu, tampak seolah-olah bayang awan telah menghampar di angkasa—hingga sinar yang gemilang sendiri berubah menjadi sejenis kegelapan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how unchecked martial intensity can turn even radiance into obscurity: the shining arrows create a cloud-like darkness. Ethically, it hints at the Mahābhārata’s recurring warning that war’s splendor and prowess often culminate in suffocation—of clarity, compassion, and order.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield scene to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra: volleys of luminous arrows are so dense that they blanket the sky, making the heavens look as though a cloud’s shadow has fallen over them.