Shloka 253
Sātyaki-praveśaḥ and Duryodhana-saṃnipātaḥ
Sātyaki’s passage and Duryodhana’s mass engagement
ददर्श द्वैरथं ताभ्यां जातकौतूहलो जन: । सारी सेनाएँ मौन थीं, योद्धा युद्धसे विरत हो गये थे, सब लोग कौतूहलवश उन दोनोंके द्वैरथ युद्धका दृश्य देखने लगे
dadarśa dvairathaṁ tābhyāṁ jātakautūhalo janaḥ |
Sañjaya berkata: “Melihat duel kereta antara keduanya, orang-orang diliputi rasa ingin tahu. Seluruh bala tentara terdiam; para prajurit menghentikan pertempuran; dan semua mata tertuju pada tontonan laga tunggal dua jawara itu.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid collective warfare, attention often gravitates to individual prowess and rivalry; the verse highlights how public fascination can momentarily suspend the wider violence, reminding readers that war is also shaped by reputation, spectacle, and the moral weight placed on personal combat.
Sañjaya reports that the crowd watches a dvairatha—single combat between two chariot-warriors. The surrounding forces become quiet and pause their fighting, focusing on the outcome of this duel.