Shloka 75
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
शव्त्यूष्टिप्रासशब्दश्न॒ तुमुल: समपद्यत । भिन्दतां परमर्माणि राजन दुर्मन्त्रिते तव
śakty-ṛṣṭi-prāsa-śabdaś ca tumulaḥ samapadyata | bhindatāṃ paramarmāṇi rājan durmantrite tava ||
三阇耶说道：“战场上涌起骇人的喧嚣——长矛、投枪与枪矛的撞击与呼啸。战士们撕裂敌军要害，王啊；而这场祸患，正由你失当的谋议而起。兵刃之声处处回荡，披甲之士咆哮挥击，迅捷战马在拥挤中倒下，翻滚挣扎。”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores royal accountability: destructive outcomes in war are linked to flawed counsel and moral failure in governance. A king’s decisions and advisors’ guidance carry ethical weight, and ‘bad counsel’ (durmantrita) becomes a cause of widespread suffering.
Sañjaya describes the battlefield’s chaos: the terrifying noise of spears and lances, warriors piercing vital points, and the general carnage. He addresses the king, implying that this turmoil and loss are the fruit of the king’s misguided policy and advice.