Shloka 56
तद् गजाश्वरथौघानां रुधिरेण समुक्षितम् । छन्नमायोधन रेजे रक्ता भ्रमिव शारदम्,हाथी, घोड़े तथा रथियोंके समुदायके रक्तसे ढकी और भीगी हुई वह सारी युद्धभूमि शरद्-ऋतुकी संध्याके लाल बादलोंके समान शोभा पा रही थी
tad gajāśvarathaughānāṁ rudhireṇa samukṣitam | channam āyodhanaṁ reje raktā bhramir iva śāradam ||
پھر ہاتھیوں، گھوڑوں اور رتھیوں کے ہجوم کے خون سے ڈھکی اور تر وہ جنگ گاہ خزاں کی شام کے سرخ بادلوں کی مانند چمک اٹھی۔
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the paradox of war’s ‘splendor’: the battlefield may appear visually magnificent, yet that beauty is inseparable from bloodshed. It invites ethical reflection on how martial glory can mask suffering, and how a witness must see both the appearance and the cost.
Sañjaya narrates the scene of Kurukṣetra after intense fighting: the ground is covered and soaked with blood from fallen elephants, horses, and chariot-warriors, and the whole field looks red—likened to autumn evening clouds.