Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 28
शल्यवधे कौरवसेनाभङ्गः, भीमस्य गदायुद्धं, दुर्योधनस्य समाह्वानम्
Rout after Śalya’s fall; Bhīma’s mace engagement; Duryodhana’s rally
ते मुहूर्ताद रणे वीरा हस्ताहस्ति विशाम्पते
te muhūrtād raṇe vīrā hastāhasti viśāmpate
Sañjaya sprach: Von eben diesem Augenblick an, o Herr der Völker, rückten die Helden auf dem Schlachtfeld dicht aneinander heran und gerieten in den Kampf Hand gegen Hand—ein Bild der düsteren Unmittelbarkeit des Krieges, in dem Tapferkeit nicht durch Abstand oder Gerät, sondern durch die direkte Begegnung erprobt wird.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the immediacy and severity of righteous warfare as experienced by kṣatriyas: when conflict reaches hand-to-hand range, courage, restraint, and responsibility are tested most directly, underscoring the ethical weight of violence and the consequences of choices that lead to such confrontation.
Sañjaya reports to the king that the warriors, without delay, engaged in close-quarters fighting on the battlefield, indicating an escalation into direct hand-to-hand combat.