Mahabharata 6.66.4 — Bhishma Parva, Adhyaya 66, Shloka 4
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय ६६: तुमुलसंग्रामवर्णनम्
The Tumult of Battle Described
सेनाका वह अनन्त वेग देवताओंके लिये भी दुःसह था। पूर्णिमाको बढ़े हुए समुद्रके समान अपार जान पड़ता था ।।
sa senā ca vah ananta-vegaḥ devatānām api duḥsahaḥ āsīt | pūrṇimāyāṃ vardhamāna-samudra iva apāraḥ pratibhāti || ratha-nāgāśva-kalilaṃ śaṅkha-dundubhi-nāditam | ananta-ratha-pādātaṃ rajasā sarvato vṛtam ||
Санджая сказал: То войско ринулось с неизмеримой быстротой, нестерпимой даже для богов, и казалось безбрежным — как океан, вздымающийся в ночь полнолуния. Оно было тесно набито колесницами, слонами и конями; гул стоял от раковин и ударов боевых барабанов. Колесниц и пеших воинов было не счесть, а пыль разошлась повсюду, заволакивая взор.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive, but it implicitly warns that the sheer mass, speed, and clamor of war can overwhelm judgment. In such conditions, maintaining dharma requires inner steadiness, because external spectacle—numbers, noise, and fear—pushes people toward impulsive, dehumanizing action.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the terrifying advance of the forces: the host appears limitless like a full-moon-swollen sea, packed with chariots, elephants, horses, and innumerable foot-soldiers, roaring with conches and drums while dust rises everywhere.
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