Shloka 2
भीष्म–रामजामदग्न्ययुद्धप्रस्थानवर्णनम्
Bhishma’s Account of Parashurama’s Challenge and the March to Kurukshetra
सस््नातापवृत्तैस्तुरगैर्लब्धतोयैरविद्वलै: । प्रभाते चोदिते सूर्य ततो युद्धमवर्तत
snātāpavṛttais turagair labdhato yair avidvalaiḥ | prabhāte codite sūrye tato yuddham avartata ||
Bhīṣma said: When the horses had been led about and rolled so as to be bathed, and then given water to drink—thus refreshed and no longer distressed—at dawn, as the sun rose, the battle began again.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in the harsh setting of war, conduct is governed by order and responsibility: one prepares properly, tends to dependents (here, the horses), and only then undertakes one’s duty. The verse hints at restraint and discipline rather than chaotic violence.
After tending to the horses—walking them, letting them roll to clean and soothe themselves, and giving them water—once they are refreshed, the warriors resume fighting at sunrise.