Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 1
Śalya-parva Adhyāya 34: Balarāma’s Withdrawal, Sarasvatī Pilgrimage Logistics, and Prabhāsa as Soma’s Renewal Tīrtha
भीकम (2 अमान चतुस्त्रिंशो 5 ध्याय: बलरामजीका आगमन और स्वागत तथा भीमसेन और दुर्योधनके युद्धका आरम्भ संजय उवाच तस्मिन् युद्धे महाराज सुसंवृत्ते सुदारुणे । उपविष्टेषु सर्वेषु पाण्डवेषु महात्मसु
sañjaya uvāca | tasmin yuddhe mahārāja susaṃvṛtte sudāruṇe | upaviṣṭeṣu sarveṣu pāṇḍaveṣu mahātmasu ||
Sañjaya dijo: «Oh Rey, cuando aquella batalla—ya plenamente puesta en marcha y terriblemente atroz—estaba a punto de comenzar, y todos los Pāṇḍavas, magnánimos, se habían sentado para presenciarla, el escenario quedó dispuesto para el duelo fatal que pondría a prueba la firmeza, la disciplina y los límites del dharma en medio de la guerra».
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames war as a morally weighty arena: even before weapons clash, the narrative stresses gravity (sudāruṇa) and mindful witnessing by the 'mahātman' Pāṇḍavas, implying that action in conflict must be measured against dharma and responsibility.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the terrible battle is about to begin, and the Pāṇḍavas have seated themselves to observe—setting the stage for the decisive confrontation described in this chapter’s context.