Shloka 22
Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam
A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement
यत्र राजा पाण्डव: सत्यसंधो व्यवस्थितो भीमसेनार्जुनौ च । वासुदेव: सात्यकि: सृञ्जयाश्न यमौ च कस्तान् विषहेन्मदन्य:
yatra rājā pāṇḍavaḥ satyasaṃdho vyavasthito bhīmasenārjunau ca | vāsudevaḥ sātyakiḥ sṛñjayāś ca yamau ca kas tān viṣahen madanyaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Di tempat raja Pāṇḍava yang setia pada kebenaran, Yudhiṣṭhira, berdiri teguh—di tempat Bhīmasena dan Arjuna berjaga, dan di tempat Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa), Sātyaki, para pahlawan Sṛñjaya, serta kedua saudara kembar (Nakula dan Sahadeva) berbaris—siapa selain aku yang sanggup menahan terjangan para kesatria itu?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how moral steadfastness (Yudhiṣṭhira as satyasaṃdha) and righteous solidarity amplify strength: dharma is portrayed not as abstract virtue but as a stabilizing force that gathers capable allies and makes a formation difficult to withstand.
Sañjaya describes the Pāṇḍava battle-array: Yudhiṣṭhira stands firm with Bhīma and Arjuna, supported by Kṛṣṇa, Sātyaki, the Sṛñjaya warriors, and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva. He rhetorically asks who besides himself could endure their combined momentum, emphasizing their formidable presence on the battlefield.