Shloka 1
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत शल्यपर्वमें संकुलयुद्धाविषयक बाईसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ ॥/ २२ ॥। पम्प बछ। सं: त्रयोविशो<् ध्याय: कौरवपक्षके सात सौ रथियोंका वध, उभयपक्षकी सेनाओंका मर्यादाशून्य घोर संग्राम तथा शकुनिका कूट युद्ध और उसकी पराजय संजय उवाच वर्तमाने तदा युद्धे घोररूपे भयानके । अभज्यत बल तत्र तव पुत्रस्य पाण्डवै:,संजय कहते हैं--राजन्! जब वह भयानक घोर युद्ध होने लगा, उस समय पाण्डवोंने आपके पुत्रकी सेनाके पाँव उखाड़ दिये
sañjaya uvāca | vartamāne tadā yuddhe ghorarūpe bhayānake | abhajyata balaṃ tatra tava putrasya pāṇḍavaiḥ ||
Sanjaya said: O King, when that dreadful, terrifying battle was underway, the Pandavas there shattered the strength of your son’s forces—uprooting their footing and resolve in the fight.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in a war that has turned terrifying and unrestrained, power and morale can collapse suddenly; it implicitly points to the ethical and karmic weight of choices that lead to such a fearful conflict and its inevitable consequences.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that as the dreadful battle intensifies, the Pandavas gain the upper hand and break the strength of Duryodhana’s (Kaurava) forces, signaling a decisive shift in momentum.