Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
ततो<5भवत्तमो घोर सैन्येन रजसा वृते । तानपाक्रमतोडद्राक्ष॑ं तस्माद् देशादरिंदम,शत्रुदमन नरेश! तत्पश्चात् जब सेनाद्वारा उठी हुई धूलसे सब ओर घोर अन्धकार छा गया, उस समय हमने देखा कि बहुत-से योद्धा वहाँसे भागे जा रहे हैं
tato 'bhavat tamo ghoraṃ sainyena rajasā vṛte | tān apākrāmato 'drākṣaṃ tasmād deśād ariṃdama śatrudamana nareśa |
Disse Sañjaya: Então ergueu-se uma escuridão terrível, pois o exército ficou envolto em poeira. Ó rei, esmagador de inimigos, vimos muitos guerreiros fugir daquele lugar.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights how the chaos of war—dust, darkness, and panic—can overwhelm perception and morale, leading even trained fighters to retreat; it underscores the ethical gravity of battle where fear and confusion rapidly spread.
Sañjaya reports to the king that a thick, terrifying darkness formed because the army raised massive dust, and in that obscurity many warriors were seen fleeing from the battlefield area.