Shloka 40
शल्य–युधिष्ठिरयुद्धप्रारम्भः
Commencement of the Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel
तत्र राजन शरैमुक्तिनिर्मुक्तिरिव पन्नगै: । स्वर्णपुड्खै: प्रकाशद्/िर्व्यरोचन्त दिशस्तदा
tatra rājan śaraiḥ muktinir-muktir iva pannagaiḥ | svarṇapuḍkhaiḥ prakāśadbhir vyarocanta diśas tadā ||
三阇耶说道：“大王啊，当时在那处，天之四方因闪耀的箭矢而炽然发光；那些箭羽镶金，光芒迸射——宛如蜕去旧皮而脱身的群蛇。此喻写出战场暴烈之势充塞诸方，以夺目而不息的疾动，使世界的空间本身化作令人战栗又肃然敬畏的舞台。”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse is primarily descriptive, but its ethical resonance lies in showing how war overwhelms the natural order: even the ‘directions’ are made to blaze by weapons. The simile of snakes shedding skin underscores relentless, repeated discharge—suggesting the dehumanizing momentum of battle and the peril of letting violence become self-propelling.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that the battlefield is filled with volleys of radiant arrows. Their golden-fletched shafts flash in every direction, making the quarters seem illuminated, like snakes emerging after casting off their skins.