Shloka 3
Bhīmasena’s Kalinga Engagement and the Approach of Bhīṣma (भीमसेन-कालिङ्ग-संग्रामः)
न मातुलं च स्वस्रीयो न सखायं सखा तथा । आविष्टा इव युध्यन्ते पाण्डवा: कुरुभि: सह
na mātulaṃ ca svasrīyo na sakhāyaṃ sakhā tathā | āviṣṭā iva yudhyante pāṇḍavāḥ kurubhiḥ saha ||
Sañjaya berkata: Dalam pertempuran itu para kesatria Pāṇḍava bertempur melawan kaum Kuru seakan-akan kerasukan daya yang dahsyat; tidak ada jeda bagi kekerabatan atau persahabatan—keponakan tak menyisakan paman dari pihak ibu, dan sahabat pun tak menyisakan sahabat. Ikatan pribadi seolah lenyap di bawah tuntutan perang.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a moral tension of war: when violence escalates, even sacred bonds—uncle and nephew, friend and friend—can be disregarded. It warns how conflict can induce a near-possessed state (āviṣṭāḥ), eclipsing ordinary dharma rooted in family and friendship.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍavas are fighting the Kuru forces with relentless intensity, as though driven by an overpowering impulse, without making exceptions for relatives or friends on the opposing side.