Shloka 21
Adhyāya 65: Dawn Assembly, Makara–Śyena Vyūhas, and Commander Engagements
तस्मिन् दशर थे क्रुद्धे वर्तमाने महाभये । तावकानां परेषां वा प्रेक्षका रथिनो5भवन्
tasmin daśarathe kruddhe vartamāne mahābhaye | tāvakānāṁ pareṣāṁ vā prekṣakā rathino 'bhavan |
Sañjaya sprach: Als jener von zehn Pferden gezogene Wagen in wütender Fahrt mitten im großen Schrecken der Schlacht dahinraste, wurden die Wagenkämpfer—ob von deiner Seite oder von der des Feindes—zu bloßen Zuschauern, den Blick gebannt auf jene ehrfurchtgebietende Begegnung gerichtet.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how overwhelming prowess and the intensity of battle can momentarily suspend ordinary combat roles: even seasoned warriors become onlookers. Ethically, it underscores the sobering power of war—its capacity to inspire awe and fear, reminding listeners that martial glory is inseparable from peril and terror.
Sañjaya reports that as a formidable ten-horsed chariot moved in wrath during a terrifying phase of the battle, chariot-fighters from both the Kaurava and opposing armies paused as spectators, watching the unfolding confrontation rather than actively engaging.