Shloka 23
भीष्मरक्षण-प्रकरणम् / The Protective Screen around Bhīṣma and the Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Clash
सुखं स्वपिहि गान्धारे श्वो5पि कर्ता महारणम् । यं जना: कथयिष्यन्ति यावत् स्थास्यति मेदिनी
sukhaṁ svapihi gāndhāre śvo 'pi kartā mahāraṇam | yaṁ janāḥ kathayiṣyanti yāvat sthāsyati medinī ||
Sañjaya said: “Sleep in peace, O Gāndhārī. For tomorrow he will bring about a mighty battle—one that people will speak of for as long as the earth endures.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how momentous actions—especially war—create lasting collective memory, while also implying the tragic irony that personal comfort and domestic counsel are powerless before the onrushing force of destiny and public consequence.
Sañjaya addresses Gāndhārī, urging her to rest, while foretelling that the next day will bring a tremendous battle whose renown will endure as long as the earth remains—framing the coming events as historically and morally weighty.