Shloka 19
Adhyāya 65: Dawn Assembly, Makara–Śyena Vyūhas, and Commander Engagements
धार्तराष्ट्रानू दश रथान् दशैव प्रत्यवारयन् । नानारूपाणि शस्त्राणि विसृजन्तो विशाम्पते
dhārtarāṣṭrānū daśa rathān daśaiva pratyavārayan | nānārūpāṇi śastrāṇi visṛjanto viśāmpate ||
Sañjaya said: O lord of the people, those ten chariots of the Dhārtarāṣṭras were checked by precisely ten warriors on the Pāṇḍava side, who—hurling weapons of many kinds—held them back: the wrathful Bhīmasena; Dhṛṣṭadyumna, son of Drupada; the twin sons of Mādrī, Nakula and Sahadeva; the five sons of Draupadī; and Abhimanyu. In the press of battle, each met force with force, restraining the enemy through disciplined martial skill rather than yielding to fear or disorder.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights disciplined resistance and coordinated duty in war: matched opponents restrain aggression through skill and steadiness, reflecting kṣatriya-dharma—courage, order, and responsibility amid violence.
Sañjaya reports to the king that ten Kaurava chariot-warriors were stopped by ten Pāṇḍava-side heroes—Bhīma, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Nakula, Sahadeva, Draupadī’s five sons, and Abhimanyu—who attacked with varied weapons and prevented their advance.