Shloka 403
शल्यपरिघातः (Śalya Under Encirclement) — Mahābhārata, Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 12
परस्परं विजानीमो यदयुद्धयन्नभीतवत् । उस समय उस धूलके अन्धकारमें समस्त योद्धा निर्भय-से होकर युद्ध कर रहे थे। पाण्डव तथा कौरव-योद्धा जो अपना नाम लेकर परिचय देते थे
parasparaṃ vijānīmo yad ayuddhayan abhītavat |
三阇耶说道：在尘土扬起的昏暗之中，众勇士无所畏惧，仍旧厮杀。混乱里，我们只能凭听见战士自报其名来辨认彼此——无论是般度族还是俱卢族——于是姓名而非容貌，成了战场乱象中唯一的凭据。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral and practical confusion of war: when visibility and certainty collapse, discernment depends on minimal signs (here, names). It implicitly warns how easily right judgment (dharma-buddhi) can be obscured in violent chaos, even while courage persists.
Sañjaya describes a battlefield so filled with dust that it becomes dark. Despite the lack of visibility, fighters continue fearlessly. Observers and combatants can distinguish allies and enemies only by hearing warriors announce their own names—thus identifying Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas by sound rather than sight.