Shloka 16
कुरुक्षेत्रे सेनानिवेशवृत्तान्तः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra Questions Saṃjaya on the Deployed Armies
तद् दृष्टवोपस्थितं युद्ध समासन्न॑ं महात्ययम्
tad dṛṣṭvopasthitaṃ yuddhaṃ samāsannaṃ mahātyayam
সেই মহাবিপর্যয়কর যুদ্ধকে একেবারে সন্নিকট—প্রায় উপস্থিত—দেখে স্পষ্ট হল, সংঘর্ষ আর কল্পনা নয়; তা অনিবার্য সঙ্কট, যার নৈতিক ও মানবিক পরিণাম অত্যন্ত গুরুতর।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical weight of war: when conflict becomes imminent, it is recognized not merely as a political event but as a 'mahātyaya'—a great calamity—implying that leaders and parties bear heightened responsibility for the consequences.
Vaiśaṃpāyana, as narrator, marks a turning point: the prospect of battle has become immediate and unavoidable, setting the stage for decisions and actions taken under the shadow of impending catastrophe.