Shloka 51
कर्णपर्व — अध्याय ५७
Arjuna’s targeted advance; Śalya–Karṇa dialogue; interception attempts
सिंहनादरवाश्नैव प्रादुरासन् समागमे । उभयो: सेनयो राजन मृत्युं कृत्वा निवर्तनम्,नरेश्वर! दोनों सेनाओंमें मृत्युको ही युद्धसे निवृत्त होनेकी अवधि नियत करके संघर्ष छिड़ गया और वीरोंके सिंहनाद होने लगे
siṁhanāda-ravāś caiva prādurāsan samāgame | ubhayoḥ senayor rājan mṛtyuṁ kṛtvā nivartanam ||
Sañjaya dijo: Oh Rey, en aquel gran encuentro estallaron gritos de guerra como rugidos de león y un estruendo tumultuoso. Ambos ejércitos entraron en el choque habiendo fijado sólo la muerte como límite para retirarse—teniendo el campo de batalla por lugar del que se vuelve únicamente tras hallar el fin.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the extreme ethic of battlefield resolve: both sides treat death as the only permissible boundary for retreat. It highlights how kṣatriya ideals of valor can harden into a fatalistic commitment, raising an implicit ethical tension between duty, pride, and the human cost of war.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the armies have fully engaged. The field fills with thunderous roars and lion-like shouts as warriors surge into combat, determined not to withdraw except by dying.