Shloka 14
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — इरावान्-आवन्त्ययोः युद्धम्, घटोत्कच-भगदत्त-संघर्षः, मद्रेश्वर-विक्षेपः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya Dialogue: Irāvān vs the Avanti princes; Ghaṭotkaca vs Bhagadatta; Śalya checked by the Mādrī twins
महोदधिमिवापूर्णमापगाभि: समन्ततः । अपक्षै: पक्षिसंकाशै रथैनगिश्व संवृतम्
mahodadhim ivāpūrṇam āpagābhiḥ samantataḥ | apakṣaiḥ pakṣi-saṅkāśaiḥ rathair nāgaiś ca saṃvṛtam ||
महोदधिमिवापूर्णमापगाभिः समन्ततः । अपक्षैः पक्षिसंकाशै रथैनगजैश्च संवृतम् ॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive rather than doctrinal: it teaches through imagery how war swells beyond individual control, becoming an engulfing ‘ocean’ of forces. Ethically, it underscores the gravity of entering conflict—once armies mass and surround, the situation can feel inescapable and overwhelming.
Sanjaya is narrating the battlefield scene to Dhritarashtra, portraying the assembled forces as immense and all-encompassing. Chariots and elephants form a surrounding mass, compared to an ocean filled by rivers from every side.