Shloka 14
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
ततः प्रववृते रौद्र: संग्राम: शोणितोदक: । पाण्डवानां कुरूणां च यमराष्ट्रविवर्धन:,तदनन्तर कौरवों और पाण्डवोंका अत्यन्त भयंकर संग्राम आरम्भ हो गया, जिसमें पानीकी तरह खून बहाया जाता था। वह युद्ध यमराजके राज्यकी वृद्धि करनेवाला था
tataḥ pravavṛte raudraḥ saṅgrāmaḥ śoṇitodakaḥ | pāṇḍavānāṃ kurūṇāṃ ca yamarāṣṭravivardhanaḥ ||
Disse Sañjaya: Então começou uma batalha feroz e terrível, cujas águas eram o próprio sangue. Entre os Pāṇḍavas e os Kurus ela rugiu—um encontro que apenas fez crescer o domínio de Yama, pois conduziu incontáveis guerreiros à morte.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral gravity of war: when conflict turns ‘blood into water,’ it does not elevate anyone—it expands only Yama’s realm. It is a stark reminder that violence, even when fought under claims of duty, carries catastrophic human cost and demands ethical reflection.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a terrifying battle has erupted between the Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus. The fighting is so intense that blood flows like water, and the slaughter is described as increasing the kingdom of Yama—meaning many warriors are being sent to death.