Shloka 50
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
ततो<5भवत्तमो घोर सैन्येन रजसा वृते । तानपाक्रमतोडद्राक्ष॑ं तस्माद् देशादरिंदम,शत्रुदमन नरेश! तत्पश्चात् जब सेनाद्वारा उठी हुई धूलसे सब ओर घोर अन्धकार छा गया, उस समय हमने देखा कि बहुत-से योद्धा वहाँसे भागे जा रहे हैं
tato 'bhavat tamo ghoraṃ sainyena rajasā vṛte | tān apākrāmato 'drākṣaṃ tasmād deśād ariṃdama śatrudamana nareśa |
سنجے نے کہا—پھر لشکر کے اُڑائے ہوئے گرد و غبار سے ہر طرف ہولناک تاریکی چھا گئی۔ اے دشمن کُش بادشاہ، اُس وقت ہم نے دیکھا کہ بہت سے یودھا اُس مقام سے بھاگ نکلے۔
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the chaos of war—dust, darkness, and panic—can overwhelm perception and morale, leading even trained fighters to retreat; it underscores the ethical gravity of battle where fear and confusion rapidly spread.
Sañjaya reports to the king that a thick, terrifying darkness formed because the army raised massive dust, and in that obscurity many warriors were seen fleeing from the battlefield area.