Shloka 1
भीमसेन-दुर्योधन-समागमः
Bhīmasena–Duryodhana Engagement at Sunset
[दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठका १६ “लोक मिलाकर कुल ४४ ह “लोक हैं।] नशा + (0) आज अत+- द्विसप्ततितमो< ध्याय: दोनों सेनाओंका परस्पर घोर युद्ध संजय उवाच शिखण्डी सह मत्स्येन विराटेन विशाम्पते । भीष्ममाशु महेष्वासमाससाद सुदुर्जयम्
sañjaya uvāca |
śikhaṇḍī saha matsyena virāṭena viśāmpate |
bhīṣmam āśu maheṣvāsam āsasāda sudurjayam ||
Sañjaya said: O lord of the people (King Dhritarashtra), Shikhandi, together with Virata, the king of the Matsyas, swiftly advanced against Bhishma—the great archer, exceedingly hard to overcome—thus driving the battle toward its fiercest and most fateful encounter.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how dharma in war is shaped not only by valor but by circumstance and strategy: even the seemingly unconquerable can be confronted when alliances and prior moral histories converge, reminding readers that outcomes in righteous conflict often depend on ethical complexities and destined consequences.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that Shikhandi, accompanied by Virata of the Matsyas, rapidly advances to engage Bhishma, setting up a decisive clash in the battle where Bhishma’s formidable prowess is directly challenged.