Shloka 4
Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ
Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements
ततः प्रववृते युद्ध कुरूणां पाण्डवैः सह । निवृत्तानां महाराज मृत्युं कृत्वा निवर्तनम्,महाराज! तदनन्तर लौटे हुए कौरवोंका पाण्डवोंके साथ मृत्युको ही युद्धसे निवृत्तिकी सीमा नियत करके घोर संग्राम होने लगा
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṁ kurūṇāṁ pāṇḍavaiḥ saha | nivṛttānāṁ mahārāja mṛtyuṁ kṛtvā nivartanam ||
Sañjaya sprach: Dann flammte der Kampf zwischen den Kurus und den Pāṇḍavas erneut auf. O großer König, die Zurückgekehrten setzten den Tod selbst als Grenze jedes Rückzugs; so entbrannte die Schlacht in düsterer Entschlossenheit, als gäbe es kein Ende außer dem Sterben.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a warrior ethos where retreat is morally constrained by honor: once they return to battle, they treat death as the only boundary for withdrawal. It reflects the harsh logic of kṣatriya-dharma in epic warfare—valor and steadfastness are prized even when the ethical cost is immense.
After a moment of withdrawal or turning back, the Kuru forces re-engage the Pāṇḍavas. Sañjaya tells Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the combat restarts with a grim determination: those who have returned do not consider retreat an option, as if death itself is the endpoint of disengagement.