Shloka 15
पाण्डवानभ्यवर्तन्त तस्मिन् वीरवरक्षये । महाराज! बड़े-बड़े वीरोंका विनाश करनेवाले उस महायुद्धमें जब एक ओर भीष्म और दूसरी ओर पाण्डुनन्दन धनंजय पराक्रम प्रकट कर रहे थे
sañjaya uvāca |
pāṇḍavān abhyavartanta tasmin vīravarakṣaye |
mahārāja! bṛhad-bṛhad-vīrāṇāṁ vināśa-karaṇe tasmin mahāyuddhe yadā ekato bhīṣmaḥ aparato pāṇḍunandano dhanañjayaḥ parākramaṁ prakaṭayataḥ, tadā pitāmahaṁ bhīṣmaṁ mahāparākrame pravṛttaṁ dṛṣṭvā tava sarve putrāḥ senābhiḥ saha svargaṁ paramaṁ lakṣyaṁ kṛtvā yuddhe mṛtyum icchantaḥ pāṇḍavān abhyadhāvan ||
pāṇḍavā api mahārāja smaranto vividhān bahūn tāvakān tava putrān kleśān, prahṛṣṭavat bhayatyāgaṁ kṛtvā brahmaloka-gamanāya utsukāḥ tava sainyān putrāṁś ca yodhayanti |
Sañjaya said: In that great battle, a destroyer of many eminent heroes, when Bhishma on one side and Dhananjaya (Arjuna), the son of Pandu, on the other were displaying their prowess, your sons—seeing the grandsire Bhishma engaged in mighty valor—advanced against the Pandavas with their armies, taking heaven as their highest aim and desiring death in combat. And the Pandavas too, O king, remembering the many and varied hardships inflicted by you and your sons, fought your troops and princes with glad resolve—casting off fear and eager for the highest worlds.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the kṣatriya ethos: warriors accept death in battle as a path to heavenly reward, while the Pandavas’ resolve is fueled by remembered injustice. Ethically, it frames combat as duty-bound and consequence-driven—valor is praised, yet the narrative underscores how past wrongs and the pursuit of posthumous merit intensify violence.
Sanjaya reports that as Bhishma and Arjuna display great prowess, Dhritarashtra’s sons, inspired by Bhishma’s fierce engagement, charge the Pandavas seeking a glorious death and heaven. The Pandavas, recalling the many hardships imposed on them, fight back with heightened courage and eagerness for the highest worlds.