Shloka 29
रणभूमिवर्णनम् — Devāsuropama-yuddha and the ‘River’ Metaphor of the Battlefield
धृष्टद्युम्न: शिखण्डी च सात्यकिश्व॒ महारथ:
dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ śikhaṇḍī ca sātyakiś ca mahārathaḥ
Sañjaya dit : «Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Śikhaṇḍī et Sātyaki—chacun un grand guerrier de char (mahāratha)—(s’avança/se dressa).» La ligne met en relief l’appui des Pāṇḍava sur des champions éprouvés dans la violence culminante de la guerre, où la prouesse individuelle est sans cesse mobilisée au service d’un ordre juste contesté.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in the moral chaos of war, responsibility is carried by recognized leaders and elite warriors; their prowess is not merely personal glory but a burden of duty undertaken for their side’s perceived dharma.
Sañjaya names key Pāṇḍava champions—Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Śikhaṇḍī, and Sātyaki—identifying them as mahārathas, typically as part of a battlefield roll-call describing who is present, advancing, or taking position in the fighting.