Shloka 5
स संनिपातस्तु तयोर्महान भूत् सुरेशवैरोचनयोर्यथा पुरा । शरैविंनुन्नाड्शनियन्तृवाहयो: सुदुःसहो<न्यै: कठुशोणितोदक:
sa sannipātas tu tayor mahān bhūt sureśa-vairocanayor yathā purā | śarair vinunnāḍaśa-niyantrivāhayor suduḥsaho 'nyaiḥ kaṭu-śoṇitodakaḥ ||
Disse Sañjaya: O choque entre aqueles dois tornou-se imenso, como a antiga batalha de Indra, senhor dos deuses, contra Bali, filho de Virocana. Dilacerados por saraivadas de flechas, seus corpos—bem como cocheiros e cavalos—ficaram mutilados, e ali correu um áspero fluxo de sangue como se fosse água. Aquele combate era insuportável para quaisquer outros, até mesmo de presenciar.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral tension central to the Mahābhārata: even when framed as heroic duty, war’s ‘greatness’ is inseparable from widespread suffering. The epic simile (Indra vs. Bali) magnifies the scale, while the imagery of blood flowing like water reminds the listener that glory is purchased with unbearable pain.
Sañjaya describes an intense duel between two principal warriors (contextually, the leading champions on the battlefield). Their encounter swells into a colossal fight, compared to the mythic conflict of Indra and Bali; arrows mutilate bodies, charioteers, and horses, and the battlefield runs with blood, making the scene dreadful for onlookers.