Shloka 20
गौरुडव्यूह-रचना तथा अर्धचन्द्र-प्रत्यव्यूह
Garuḍa Array and the Ardhacandra Counter-Formation
युद्धयमानं शरै राजन् सिज्जिनीथ्वजिनीरवात् | अन्योन्यं वीरसंशब्दो नाश्रूयत भटै: कृत:
sañjaya uvāca | yudhyamānaṃ śarai rājan siñjinī-dhvani-nīravāt | anyonyaṃ vīra-saṃśabdo nāśrūyata bhaṭaiḥ kṛtaḥ | jighāṃsantaṃ yudhāṃ śreṣṭhaṃ tadā āsīt tumulaṃ mahat ||
Wika ni Sañjaya: “O Hari, sa gitna ng palitan ng mga palaso—na napakalakas sa pagkalembang ng mga busog at sa ugong ng mga watawat—halos hindi marinig kahit ang mga sigaw na makabayaning ipinagsisigawan ng mga mandirigma sa isa’t isa. Nang salakayin si Bhīṣma, ang pinakadakila sa mga manlalaban, ng mga naglalayong pumatay sa kanya, ang labanan noon ay naging napakalawak at lubhang magulo at nakapanghihilakbot.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and psychological reality of war: even recognized signs of valor—war-cries and heroic calls—are drowned in the din, while lethal intent escalates conflict. It implicitly cautions that battlefield ‘glory’ is inseparable from confusion, suffering, and the overpowering momentum of violence.
Sanjaya reports to the King that the fighting has become so loud—arrows flying, bowstrings twanging, banners and troops roaring—that even the warriors’ mutual shouts cannot be clearly heard. At this moment, as fighters press in with the intent to kill the foremost warrior (understood as Bhishma in context), the battle turns extremely fierce and tumultuous.