Shloka 25
भीष्मभीमसमागमः — Bhīṣma–Bhīma Strategic Engagement and Counsel to the King
इतरेतरत: शूरा: सहसैन्या: प्रहारिण: । तत्पश्चात् प्रहार करनेमें कुशल सभी शूरवीर एक-दूसरेका व्यूह तोड़ने और परस्पर युद्ध करनेकी इच्छासे सेनासहित आगे बढ़े || २४ इ || भारद्वाजो ययौ मत्स्यं द्रौणिश्वापि शिखण्डिनम्
itaratarataḥ śūrāḥ sahasainyāḥ prahāriṇaḥ | tatpaścāt prahāra-karaṇe kuśalāḥ sarve śūravīrā anyonya-vyūha-bhedana-paraspara-yuddhecchayā senā-sahitā agre yayuḥ || bhāradvājo yayau matsyaṃ drauṇiś cāpi śikhaṇḍinam ||
Sañjaya said: Then the valiant warriors—hard-hitting fighters with their troops—advanced, each eager to break the other’s battle-formation and to engage in direct combat. Thereafter Bhāradvāja’s son (Droṇa) moved against the Matsya king, and Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāman) also advanced against Śikhaṇḍin.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos in war: disciplined courage and strategic skill (breaking formations) are exercised in pursuit of victory. Ethically, it reflects how duty-driven valor can intensify conflict when both sides commit fully to combat, underscoring the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between dharma (role-based duty) and the destructive momentum of war.
Sañjaya describes a phase of the Kurukṣetra battle where warriors, supported by their troops, surge forward to shatter opposing formations and seek direct engagements. Specific pairings are noted: Droṇa advances against the Matsya king (Virāṭa), and Aśvatthāman advances against Śikhaṇḍin.