Shloka 403
परस्परं विजानीमो यदयुद्धयन्नभीतवत् । उस समय उस धूलके अन्धकारमें समस्त योद्धा निर्भय-से होकर युद्ध कर रहे थे। पाण्डव तथा कौरव-योद्धा जो अपना नाम लेकर परिचय देते थे, उसे ही सुनकर हमलोग एक-दूसरेको पहचान पाते थे
parasparaṃ vijānīmo yad ayuddhayan abhītavat |
Disse Sañjaya: Na escuridão ofuscante levantada pela poeira, todos os guerreiros lutavam sem medo. Em meio à confusão, só podíamos reconhecer-nos ao ouvir os combatentes bradarem o próprio nome—fossem Pāṇḍava ou Kaurava—de modo que a identidade, e não a aparência, tornou-se o único guia no caos da guerra.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and practical confusion of war: when visibility and certainty collapse, discernment depends on minimal signs (here, names). It implicitly warns how easily right judgment (dharma-buddhi) can be obscured in violent chaos, even while courage persists.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield so filled with dust that it becomes dark. Despite the lack of visibility, fighters continue fearlessly. Observers and combatants can distinguish allies and enemies only by hearing warriors announce their own names—thus identifying Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas by sound rather than sight.