Shloka 1
Adhyāya 86: Irāvān’s Lineage, Cavalry Clash, and the Māyā-Duel Ending in Irāvān’s Fall
ऑपन--माज छा -जड:: तग्रयस्शीतितमो<ध्याय: इरावानके द्वारा विन्दर और अनुविन्दकी पराजय
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | bahūni hi vicitrāṇi dvairathāni samaṃjaya | pāṇḍūnāṃ māmakaiḥ sārtham aśrauṣaṃ tava jalpataḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra sprach: „Sañjaya, aus deiner Schilderung habe ich von vielen wunderbaren Zweikämpfen, Wagen gegen Wagen, zwischen den Söhnen Pāṇḍus und den Meinen gehört. Fahre fort, sie zu berichten.“
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war is framed through selective hearing and attachment: Dhṛtarāṣṭra identifies the Kaurava side as “mine” (māmakāḥ), revealing possessiveness that clouds judgment, while also showing the epic’s ethical method—events are mediated through responsible narration (Sañjaya) and inquiry.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses Sañjaya and says he has already heard many remarkable chariot-duels between the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas from Sañjaya’s ongoing report, setting up the continuation of the battle description in this chapter.