Mahabharata 9.23.88 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 23, Shloka 88
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
त्वदीयास्तांस्तु सम्प्रेक्ष्य सर्वत: समभिद्रुतान् । रथाश्वपत्तिद्विरदा: पाण्डवानभिदुद्रुवु:,पाण्डव-सैनिकोंको सब ओरसे आक्रमण करते देख आपके रथी, घुड़सवार, पैदल और हाथीसवार भी पाण्डवोंपर टूट पड़े
tvadīyāstāṃstu samprekṣya sarvataḥ samabhidrutān | rathāśvapattidviradāḥ pāṇḍavānabhidudruvuḥ ||
Sañjaya sprach: Als sie sahen, wie deine Truppen von allen Seiten heranstürmten, griffen auch die Krieger deines Heeres—die Wagenkämpfer, Reiter, Fußsoldaten und Elefantenreiter—geradewegs die Pāṇḍavas an. Die Schlacht schwoll zu einem vielgestaltigen Ansturm an, in dem disziplinierte Reihen und kriegerische Pflicht Menschen wie Tiere in das Gedränge des Krieges trieben.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in war, collective momentum and perceived necessity (kṣatriya-dharma and loyalty to one’s side) can rapidly escalate violence: once an all-sided assault is seen, the entire fourfold army responds in kind. It invites reflection on how duty and group allegiance can override restraint, intensifying conflict.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, observing the opposing troops pressing in from all directions, the Kaurava host—chariot-warriors, cavalry, infantry, and elephant-corps—surged forward and attacked the Pāṇḍavas, turning the encounter into a full-scale charge.
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