Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
एवमासीदमर्याद युद्ध भरतसत्तम । प्रासासिबाणकलिले वर्तमाने सुदारुणे,भरतश्रेष्ठ! प्रास, खड्ग और बाणोंसे व्याप्त हुए उस अत्यन्त भयंकर रफक्षेत्रमें इस प्रकार मर्यादाशून्य युद्ध हो रहा था
evam āsīd amaryādaṃ yuddhaṃ bharatasattama | prāsāsibāṇakalile vartamāne sudāruṇe ||
三阇耶说道:“噢,婆罗多族中最卓越者!战斗竟变得毫无节制、无所界限。那极其可怖的战场上,长枪、利剑与箭矢塞满其间,纷乱如麻;厮杀便以这般无法无度之态持续着。”
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights the ethical collapse of warfare: when fear, rage, and desperation dominate, the struggle becomes amaryāda—devoid of restraint and accepted norms—signaling a breakdown of dharma even within a kṣatriya context.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the fighting has turned extremely fierce and disorderly. The battlefield is described as densely packed and confused with spears, swords, and arrows, indicating close-quarters, chaotic combat.