Shloka 80
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
नराश्वकायै: संछन्ना भूमिरासीद् विशाम्पते । रुधिरोदकचित्रा च भीरूणां भयवर्धिनी
sañjaya uvāca |
narāśvakāyaiḥ saṃchannā bhūmir āsīd viśāṃpate |
rudhirodakacitrā ca bhīrūṇāṃ bhayavardhinī prajānātha ||
Wahai pelindung rakyat! Bumi di medan perang itu diselaputi timbunan mayat manusia dan kuda. Berpercikan dan bercorak oleh darah yang mengalir seperti air, medan itu menampakkan rupa yang menggerunkan, menambah ketakutan orang yang lemah hati.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral and psychological cost of war: the battlefield’s horrific reality—corpses and blood—becomes a mirror of adharma’s consequences and a test of inner steadiness. It highlights how violence amplifies fear in the weak-minded, implicitly valuing courage, restraint, and responsibility in wielding power.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the grim scene on the battlefield: the ground is blanketed with the bodies of slain men and horses, and streams of blood make the terrain appear as if water were flowing—an appalling sight that heightens panic among the timid.