Shloka 49
भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः
Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā
ततस्तेषु प्रयातेषु धृष्टद्युम्नपुरस्कृता: । आययु: पाण्डवा राजन् विनिध्नन्त: सम तावकम्
tatasteṣu prayāteṣu dhṛṣṭadyumnapuraskṛtāḥ | āyayuḥ pāṇḍavā rājan vidhinantaḥ sma tāvakam ||
Dijo Sañjaya: Cuando aquellos guerreros se hubieron apartado, los Pāṇḍavas—con Dhṛṣṭadyumna a la cabeza en la vanguardia—avanzaron, oh Rey, y abatieron tus tropas. El verso subraya el ímpetu implacable de la batalla: el mando al frente inspira una acción coordinada, y la tensión ética de la guerra queda implícita mientras la victoria se persigue mediante la violencia necesaria dentro del código aceptado del campo de combate.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the power of leadership and formation in warfare: with a capable commander at the forefront, an army advances decisively. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—duty-bound action in war can be resolute and organized, yet it remains morally weighty because it involves the destruction of kin and compatriots.
After certain warriors have moved away or departed, the Pāṇḍavas, with Dhṛṣṭadyumna leading from the front, advance against the Kaurava forces and begin striking them down, as Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra.