Shloka 20
अन्योन्यं तौ महाराज पीडयाज्चक्रतुर्भशम् । ततो युधिष्छिरो राजा पुत्र तव शरैस्त्रिभि:
anyonyam tau mahārāja pīḍayāṃ cakratur bhṛśam | tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā putra tava śarais tribhiḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : Ô grand roi, tous deux se pressaient l’un l’autre avec violence dans un combat acharné. Alors le roi Yudhiṣṭhira—l’adversaire de ton fils—fut atteint de trois flèches tirées par ton fils.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reciprocity of war: when rulers choose violence as policy, even righteous kings are drawn into mutual injury. It implicitly underscores the ethical cost of conflict—suffering multiplies through retaliation, and kingship bears responsibility for the consequences.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that two warriors are fiercely pressing each other in combat; in that exchange, King Yudhiṣṭhira is hit by three arrows shot by Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (as addressed in the narration).