Shloka 21
Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam
A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement
सम्प्राक्रुष्टे रुदितस्त्रीकुमारे पराभूते पौरुषे धार्तराष्टरे । मया कृत्यमिति जानामि शल्य प्रयाहि तस्माद् द्वधिघतामनीकम्,“शल्य! (द्रोणाचार्यके मारे जानेपर) जब सब ओर त्राहि-त्राहिकी पुकार हो रही है, स्त्रियाँ और बच्चे बिलख-बिलखकर रो रहे हैं तथा दुर्योधनका पुरुषार्थ दब गया है, ऐसे समयमें दुर्योधनको मेरी सहायताकी विशेष आवश्यकता है। मैं अपने इस कर्तव्यको अच्छी तरह समझता हूँ। इसलिये तुम शत्रुओंकी सेनाकी ओर चलो
samprākruṣṭe ruditastrīkumāre parābhūte pauruṣe dhārtarāṣṭre | mayā kṛtyam iti jānāmi śalya prayāhi tasmād dvidhighatāmanīkam ||
Sañjaya said: “When cries of distress rise on every side, when women and children are weeping aloud, and when the manly resolve of the Dhārtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana) has been crushed, I know what duty lies upon me, O Śalya. Therefore go forth toward the enemy host and strike down their foremost ranks.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
In a moment of collective panic and moral collapse, the verse foregrounds kṛtya—recognizing one’s immediate duty—and acting decisively to stabilize one’s side. Ethically, it shows how duty in war is framed as timely action amid suffering, even when that action is violent.
After Droṇa’s fall (as indicated by the contextual gloss), the Kaurava camp is overwhelmed by cries and mourning; Duryodhana’s confidence is shaken. Sañjaya urges Śalya to move against the enemy formation and attack, implying an attempt to restore momentum and support the distressed Kaurava leadership.