Shloka 13
Vāg-yuddha and Nimitta-darśana before the Gadāyuddha
Verbal Duel and Omens
तथा<<यान्तं गदाहस्तं वर्मणा चापि दंशितम् | अन्तरिक्षचरा देवा: साधु साध्वित्यपूजयन्,गदा हाथमें लिये कवच धारण किये दुर्योधनको इस प्रकार आते देख आकाशमें विचरनेवाले देवता साधु-साधु कहकर उसकी प्रशंसा करने लगे
tathā yāntaṃ gadāhastaṃ varmaṇā cāpi daṃśitam | antarīkṣacarā devāḥ sādhu sādhv ity apūjayan ||
संजय बोले—गदा हाथ में लिये और कवच से सुसज्जित दुर्योधन को इस प्रकार आते देख, आकाशचारी देवताओं ने “साधु! साधु!” कहकर उसकी प्रशंसा की।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how public acclaim often attaches to visible courage and martial readiness, even when the deeper ethical evaluation of a war and its causes is complex. It invites reflection on the difference between valor praised in the moment and dharma judged in the larger moral frame.
Sañjaya describes Duryodhana advancing toward combat, holding a mace and wearing armor. Celestial beings in the sky witness his approach and applaud him with cries of “sādhu, sādhu,” honoring his battlefield determination.