Shloka 5
Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ
Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements
तत्राश्चर्यम भूद् युद्धे सात्वतस्य परैः सह । यदेको वारयामास पाण्डुसेनां दुरासदाम्
tatrāścaryaṁ bhūd yuddhe sātvatasyaparaiḥ saha | yad eko vārayāmāsa pāṇḍusenāṁ durāsadām ||
Sañjaya said: In that battle, a marvel occurred in the fight between the Sātvata hero and his foes—how, standing alone, he held back the formidable army of the Pāṇḍavas.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how extraordinary individual valor can arrest even a powerful collective force, inviting reflection on the paradox of war: admiration for prowess arises even when the broader conflict carries heavy ethical consequences.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that an astonishing event occurred: a Sātvata hero, fighting amid enemies, single-handedly checked the advance of the formidable Pāṇḍava army.