Shloka 28
शल्यवधे कौरवसेनाभङ्गः, भीमस्य गदायुद्धं, दुर्योधनस्य समाह्वानम्
Rout after Śalya’s fall; Bhīma’s mace engagement; Duryodhana’s rally
ते मुहूर्ताद रणे वीरा हस्ताहस्ति विशाम्पते
te muhūrtād raṇe vīrā hastāhasti viśāmpate
Sañjaya said: From that very moment, O lord of the people, the heroes on the battlefield closed in upon one another and grappled hand to hand—an image of war’s grim immediacy, where valor is tested not by distance or device but by direct encounter.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the immediacy and severity of righteous warfare as experienced by kṣatriyas: when conflict reaches hand-to-hand range, courage, restraint, and responsibility are tested most directly, underscoring the ethical weight of violence and the consequences of choices that lead to such confrontation.
Sañjaya reports to the king that the warriors, without delay, engaged in close-quarters fighting on the battlefield, indicating an escalation into direct hand-to-hand combat.