Shloka 24
भिन्नेषु तेषु व्यूहेषु क्षत्रिया इतरेतरम् । एकमेकं समाहूय युद्धायैवावतस्थिरे,उन सबका व्यूह भंग हो जानेपर भी सम्पूर्ण क्षत्रिय परस्पर एक-एकको ललकारते हुए युद्धके लिये डटे ही रहे
bhinneṣu teṣu vyūheṣu kṣatriyā itaretaram | ekam ekaṃ samāhūya yuddhāyaivāvatasthire ||
Sañjaya said: Even after their battle-formations had been shattered, the kṣatriya warriors did not withdraw. Challenging one another one by one, they stood their ground, resolved solely upon combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness in battle: even when planned formations collapse, warriors continue to face one another directly, emphasizing resolve, personal accountability in combat, and the inexorable ethical burden of war once it is joined.
Sañjaya reports that the organized battle-arrays (vyūhas) have been broken. With strategic order disrupted, the fighters engage more individually—calling out and challenging opponents one by one—yet they do not retreat and remain fixed on fighting.