Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 114 — Karṇa–Bhīmasena Missile Exchange, Disarmament, and Arjuna’s Intervention
अनीकं समवेतानां धूम्रवर्णमुदीर्यते
anīkaṃ samavetānāṃ dhūmravarṇam udīryate
अनीकं समवेतानां धूम्रवर्णमुदीर्यते।
संजय उवाच
Even when warriors assemble with resolve, war generates a figurative and literal ‘smoke’—confusion, fear, and moral obscuration—reminding the listener that violence clouds discernment and burdens dharma.
Sañjaya describes a visible phenomenon arising from the gathered battle formations: a smoke-grey mass (dust/smoke-like haze) rising from the assembled troops, heightening the sense of impending combat and foreboding.