Shloka 11
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — दुर्योधनस्य ह्रदप्रवेशः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue: Duryodhana’s Entry into the Lake
ऋषिभि: शक्तिभिश्रैव सासिप्रासपरश्रथै: । संछन्ना पृथिवी जज्ञे कुसुमै: शबला इव
sañjaya uvāca |
ṛṣibhīḥ śaktibhiś caiva sāsiprāsaparaśvathaiḥ |
sañchannā pṛthivī jajñe kusumaiḥ śabalā iva ||
Санджая сказал: Земля казалась сплошь покрытой копьями и дротиками, мечами, пиками и секирами; она выглядела пятнистой и пёстрой, словно почва, усыпанная цветами многих красок.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse offers an ethical contrast: the battlefield can look aesthetically ‘flower-strewn,’ yet it is actually covered with weapons and the aftermath of killing. It cautions against mistaking outward spectacle for goodness, highlighting the grim reality and moral cost of war.
Sañjaya narrates to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the दृश्य of the battlefield: the ground is blanketed with scattered weapons—spears, javelins, swords, pikes, and axes—so densely and variously that it resembles earth covered with multicolored flowers.