Shloka 56
ततः: प्रववृते युद्ध पुनरेव विशाम्पते । लोके लोकविनाशाय परं लोकमभीप्सताम्,प्रजानाथ! तदनन्तर इस जगतमें महान् जनसंहारके लिये परलोककी इच्छा रखनेवाले योद्धाओंका वह युद्ध पुन: आरम्भ हो गया
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṃ punar eva viśāmpate | loke lokavināśāya paraṃ lokam abhīpsatām prajānātha |
Sañjaya said: Then, O lord of the people, the battle began once again—here in this world, bringing vast destruction upon the world, as those warriors who longed for the higher world pressed on, intent on winning the next life even at the cost of slaughter in this one.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral tension of war: warriors pursue heavenly merit and the 'higher world' through valor and duty, yet the immediate consequence is catastrophic destruction in this world—inviting reflection on dharma, intention, and the human cost of righteous conflict.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the fighting, after a pause or shift, has restarted with renewed intensity, and that the combatants—seeking victory and the rewards of the next world—drive the battle forward, resulting in massive slaughter.