Shloka 273
अध्याय २२ — अमर्याद-युद्धवर्णन
Unrestrained Battle Description and Śakuni’s Rear Assault
प्रेक्षतां प्रीतिजननं सिद्धचारणसेवितम् । इसके बाद सम्पूर्ण धनुर्धरोंमें श्रेष्ठ युधिष्ठिरने बड़े जोरसे सिंहनाद किया। मान्यवर! उनका वह युद्ध विचित्र
prekṣatāṃ prītijananaṃ siddhacāraṇasevitam |
Sañjaya said: “It was a spectacle that delighted the onlookers, attended by Siddhas and Cāraṇas.” Thereafter, Yudhiṣṭhira—foremost among all archers—let out a mighty lion-roar. Revered sir, his warfare was wondrous and terrible, yet it uplifted the hearts of those who watched, as if witnessed and acclaimed by higher beings.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid terrifying warfare, the epic frames righteous kingship and courage as actions performed under the gaze of society and the moral cosmos. The verse highlights how conduct in battle becomes a public and even ‘celestial’ testimony—suggesting accountability, reputation, and dharmic resolve.
Sañjaya describes the scene as pleasing to spectators and as if attended by Siddhas and Cāraṇas. Immediately after, Yudhiṣṭhira, praised as the best among archers, roars like a lion—signaling renewed resolve and intensifying the battle’s dramatic momentum.