कर्णार्जुनसमागमः — The Karṇa–Arjuna Confrontation
Cosmic Spectatorship and Vows
पाण्डवैस्तु महाराज धार्तराष्ट्री महाचमू: । पुन: पुनरथो वीरैरभज्जि जितकाशिभि:,महाराज! विजयसे उल्लसित होनेवाले पाण्डवोंने दुर्योधनकी विशाल सेनामें बारंबार भगदड़ मचा दी
pāṇḍavaistu mahārāja dhārtarāṣṭrī mahācamūḥ | punaḥ punaratho vīrair abhajji jitakāśibhiḥ ||
Wahai Raja, pasukan besar Dhārtarāṣṭra kembali dan kembali dihancurkan oleh para Pāṇḍava—para kesatria yang menyala oleh semangat kemenangan—hingga kekacauan dan lari-berhamburan merebak di bala Duryodhana.
संजय उवाच
The verse highlights a recurring ethical reality of war: when leadership and purpose falter, even a vast force can repeatedly collapse before disciplined, resolute warriors. It implicitly underscores kṣatriya-dharma—steadfastness, courage, and cohesion—as decisive, and shows how adharma-driven ambition (Duryodhana’s cause) tends toward instability and rout.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍava heroes repeatedly break the Kaurava (Dhārtarāṣṭra) army’s formations, causing repeated panic and disorder in Duryodhana’s large host during the fighting in Karṇa Parva.