Shloka 193
अध्याय २२ — अमर्याद-युद्धवर्णन
Unrestrained Battle Description and Śakuni’s Rear Assault
प्रत्युद्ययुर्महेष्वासा: पाण्डवानाततायिन: । वे महाधनुर्धर कौरवयोद्धा रणभूमिमें अपराजित राजा दुर्योधनके पास पहुँचकर आततायी पाण्डवोंपर जा चढ़े
sañjaya uvāca | pratyudyayur maheṣvāsāḥ pāṇḍavān ātatāyinaḥ | te mahādhanurdharāḥ kauravayoddhā raṇabhūmau aparājitaṃ rājānaṃ duryodhanaṃ samīpya ātatāyiṣu pāṇḍaveṣu abhyapatanta |
Sanjaya said: The great archers among the Kaurava warriors advanced to meet the Pandavas, branding them as aggressors. Reaching the vicinity of King Duryodhana—unconquered on the battlefield—they surged forward and fell upon the Pandavas in fierce assault. The verse frames the clash not only as a military movement but also as a moral claim, casting the enemy as ‘ātatāyin’ (criminal aggressors) to justify the onslaught.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how moral labeling functions in war: calling the opponent ‘ātatāyin’ (aggressor/criminal) serves as an ethical rationale for violent action. It reflects the Mahabharata’s recurring tension between dharma-claims and battlefield realities.
Sanjaya reports that Kaurava great archers move out to confront the Pandavas, approach the undefeated King Duryodhana on the battlefield, and then launch an attack against the Pandava forces.