अध्याय २६ — शल्यस्य सारथ्य-नियोजनं, कर्णस्य प्रस्थानं, उत्पातदर्शनं च
Chapter 26: Śalya appointed as charioteer; Karṇa’s departure; portents
तत: शरसहस््राणि प्रादुरासन् विशाम्पते
tataḥ śara-sahasrāṇi prādurāsan viśāmpate
Disse Sañjaya: “Então, ó senhor dos povos, milhares de flechas surgiram de súbito, enchendo o campo de batalha à medida que o choque se intensificava—um sinal austero de quão depressa a determinação humana se converte em violência avassaladora na guerra.”
संजय उवाच
The verse underscores the sudden, multiplying momentum of warfare: once conflict is unleashed, violence proliferates beyond easy restraint, reminding the listener of the grave ethical weight carried by those who choose battle.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, at that moment in the battle, countless arrows appeared—indicating an intense exchange of missiles and a rapid escalation in the fighting.