Shloka 256
Adhyāya 33: Rauhiṇeya (Balarāma) is welcomed and takes his seat to witness the gadā-engagement
त्वामासाद्य महायुद्धे निहता: पाण्डुनन्दन । “तुमने कितने ही राजाओं
tvām āsādya mahāyuddhe nihatāḥ pāṇḍunandana |
Sañjaya said: “O son of Pāṇḍu, in this great war many met their death upon coming face to face with you. You have struck down numerous kings, princes, and lordly elephants; and warriors of Kaliṅga, Magadha, the Prācyas, Gāndhāra, and the Kuru land too, confronting you in battle, have gone into the very jaws of Death.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the epic theme that in war, prowess and duty (kṣatriya-dharma) operate under the shadow of Kāla (Time/Death): those who confront a mighty warrior may be carried to death, reminding the listener of the inevitability of mortality and the grave ethical weight of battlefield action.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the scale of slaughter caused by the Pāṇḍava hero addressed as ‘Pāṇḍunandana’: many kings, princes, elephants, and warriors from regions such as Kaliṅga, Magadha, Prācya, Gāndhāra, and Kuru land have been killed after engaging him in the great war.