Shloka 23
Daśame’hani Bhīṣma-yuddham — Śikhaṇḍī-rakṣaṇa, Arjuna-prabhāva, Duryodhana-āśraya-vākyam
ततो दुर्योधनश्वैव कृपश्च रथिनां वर:
tato duryodhanaś caiva kṛpaś ca rathināṃ varaḥ | mahatā rathavaṃśena pārthasyāvārayan diśaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Then Duryodhana and Kripa—the foremost among chariot-warriors—together with a great array of chariots, blocked off all directions for Pārtha (Arjuna), cutting off his routes of advance. The scene underscores how, in the press of war, strategic containment and collective force are used to restrain a single formidable warrior, even as the moral weight of the conflict continues to hang over every tactical choice.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata insight: in war, even exceptional prowess is met by coordinated opposition. Ethically, it points to the tension between individual valor and collective strategy within kṣatriya conflict—where tactical necessity often overrides personal rivalry, and many unite to restrain one who threatens the larger formation.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana and Kṛpa, supported by a large chariot contingent, position themselves to block Arjuna’s movement in every direction—effectively hemming him in and preventing him from advancing along any route.