Shloka 56
तद् गजाश्वरथौघानां रुधिरेण समुक्षितम् । छन्नमायोधन रेजे रक्ता भ्रमिव शारदम्
tad gajāśvarathaughānāṁ rudhireṇa samukṣitam | channam āyodhanaṁ reje raktā bhramir iva śāradam ||
Sañjaya disse: Então aquele campo de batalha—coberto e encharcado pelo sangue de multidões de elefantes, cavalos e guerreiros de carros—resplandeceu, semelhante às nuvens carmesins que brilham no crepúsculo do outono. A imagem ressalta o terrível esplendor da guerra: percebe-se beleza, mas ela nasce de um massacre generalizado, lembrando ao ouvinte o custo moral que acompanha a glória marcial.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox of war’s ‘splendor’: the battlefield may appear visually magnificent, yet that beauty is inseparable from bloodshed. It invites ethical reflection on how martial glory can mask suffering, and how a witness must see both the appearance and the cost.
Sañjaya narrates the scene of Kurukṣetra after intense fighting: the ground is covered and soaked with blood from fallen elephants, horses, and chariot-warriors, and the whole field looks red—likened to autumn evening clouds.