अध्याय ५३ — रणमेघोपमा सेना-वर्णना तथा सुषेण-वधोत्तर प्रतिक्रिया
Battle-as-Storm Imagery and the Aftermath of Suṣeṇa’s Fall
दृष्टवा तु वारितां युद्धे शस्त्रवृष्टिं दुरासदाम् | कृतवर्माणमासाद्य वारयामास पार्षत:
dṛṣṭvā tu vāritāṃ yuddhe śastravṛṣṭiṃ durāsadām | kṛtavarmāṇam āsādya vārayām āsa pārṣataḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : «Voyant que cette pluie d’armes, si difficile à soutenir, avait été arrêtée dans la mêlée, le fils de Pṛṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna) s’avança sur Kṛtavarmā et le contint, l’empêchant de progresser davantage sur le champ de bataille.»
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights kṣatriya-duty in wartime: when a dangerous assault is checked, a commander must immediately neutralize the opposing threat by direct engagement, prioritizing protection of the army and control of the battlefield.
Sañjaya reports that Dhṛṣṭadyumna, seeing the fierce weapon-barrage being restrained, advances toward Kṛtavarmā and blocks his progress, stopping him from pushing forward in the fight.