Shloka 44
Book 9 (Śalya-parva), Adhyāya 13 — Arjuna’s Arrow-storm and the Drauṇi Confrontation
न पाण्डवानां नास्माकं तत्र किज्चिद् व्यदृश्यत | बाणान्धकारे महति कृते तत्र महाहवे,उस महायुद्धमें बाणोंद्वारा महान् अन्धकार छा गया, जिससे वहाँ हमारी और पाण्डवोंकी कोई भी वस्तु दिखायी नहीं देती थी
na pāṇḍavānāṃ nāsmākaṃ tatra kiñcid vyadṛśyata | bāṇāndhakāre mahati kṛte tatra mahāhave ||
Sañjaya nói: Trong trận đại chiến ấy, khi cơn mưa tên tạo nên một màn tối mịt mùng, nơi đó không còn thấy gì cả—không thấy quân Pāṇḍava, cũng không thấy quân ta.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extreme violence in war can overwhelm clarity and judgment: the ‘darkness’ made by arrows symbolizes not only physical obscurity but also the moral and practical confusion that arises when conflict becomes all-consuming.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the arrow-storm became so dense it produced a great darkness on the battlefield, making it impossible to distinguish either side—neither the Pāṇḍavas’ forces nor the Kauravas’ were visible.