Shloka 18
Nakula–Śakuni Duel and the Night Battle; Śikhaṇḍin–Kṛpa Engagement (नकुल-शकुनियुद्धं तथा रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
चिरकालेप्सितं लोके युद्धमद्यास्तु कौरव । त्वरते मे मतिस्तात तव युद्धाभिकाड्क्षिणी
cirakālepsitaṃ loke yuddham adyāstu kaurava | tvarate me matis tāta tava yuddhābhikāṅkṣiṇī ||
Wahai Kaurava, biarlah perang yang sejak lama didambakan dunia ini terjadi hari ini. Wahai dear, pikiranku bergegas, mendambakan pertempuran denganmu.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how collective longing for conflict can gather momentum and feel inevitable; it implicitly warns that desire for war—once normalized “in the world”—drives minds toward violence, underscoring the ethical danger of craving battle rather than restraining it.
Sañjaya, reporting events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, expresses urgency and eagerness regarding the day’s fighting, framing the battle as something long awaited and indicating that his attention is fixed on the unfolding war.