Shloka 64
शल्यस्य पाण्डवसेनापीडनम् — Śalya’s Assault on the Pāṇḍava Host
with Omens and Bhīma’s Counter
पाण्डवैरवकीर्णानां सम्मोह: समजायत | न च जज्ञुस्त्वनीकानि दिशो वा विदिशस्तथा,पाण्डवोंके बाणोंसे आच्छादित हुए कौरव-योद्धाओंपर मोह छा गया। उन्हें दिशाओं अथवा विदिशाओंका भी ज्ञान न रहा
sañjaya uvāca | pāṇḍavair avakīrṇānāṃ sammohaḥ samajāyata | na ca jajñus tv anīkāni diśo vā vidiśas tathā ||
Sañjaya berkata: Tatkala para pahlawan Kaurava dihujani dan diselubungi anak panah Pāṇḍava, maka timbullah kekeliruan yang memabukkan dalam kalangan mereka. Dalam kacau-bilau itu, mereka tidak lagi mengenali formasi tempur mereka, bahkan arah mata angin dan arah perantaraan pun tidak dapat dibezakan—demikianlah pancaindera dan pertimbangan mereka ditenggelami oleh desakan perang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how fear and sensory overload in war can collapse discernment: when clarity is lost, even basic orientation and organized formation fail. Ethically, it implies that discipline, steadiness of mind, and leadership are crucial to prevent chaos and needless destruction.
Sañjaya reports that the Kaurava fighters, struck and blanketed by the Pāṇḍavas’ arrow-shower, become disoriented. They cannot identify their own troop-divisions or even tell the directions, indicating a breakdown of battlefield order.