Shloka 40
शल्य–युधिष्ठिरयुद्धप्रारम्भः
Commencement of the Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel
तत्र राजन शरैमुक्तिनिर्मुक्तिरिव पन्नगै: । स्वर्णपुड्खै: प्रकाशद्/िर्व्यरोचन्त दिशस्तदा
tatra rājan śaraiḥ muktinir-muktir iva pannagaiḥ | svarṇapuḍkhaiḥ prakāśadbhir vyarocanta diśas tadā ||
Sanjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, pada ketika itu di sana, segala penjuru langit menyala dengan anak panah yang berkilau, bulu ekornya daripada emas memancar—laksana ular yang terlepas bebas setelah menanggalkan kulitnya. Gambaran ini menyatakan bahawa keganasan pertempuran memenuhi setiap arah dengan gerak yang mempesona namun tidak mengenal henti, menjadikan ruang dunia sendiri suatu pentas ketakutan dan kekaguman.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive, but its ethical resonance lies in showing how war overwhelms the natural order: even the ‘directions’ are made to blaze by weapons. The simile of snakes shedding skin underscores relentless, repeated discharge—suggesting the dehumanizing momentum of battle and the peril of letting violence become self-propelling.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that the battlefield is filled with volleys of radiant arrows. Their golden-fletched shafts flash in every direction, making the quarters seem illuminated, like snakes emerging after casting off their skins.