Shloka 35
विराटनगरे तात संजयस्य समीपत: । भीष्मद्रोणमुखान् _सर्वान् धार्तराष्ट्स्य सैनिकान्
virāṭanagare tāta sañjayasya samīpataḥ | bhīṣmadroṇamukhān sarvān dhārtarāṣṭrasya sainikān |
Sanjaya said: “Dear father, in the city of Virāṭa, close to Sanjaya, were gathered all the soldiers of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, led foremost by Bhīṣma and Droṇa.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily serves a narrative function: it highlights how war is shaped by leadership and proximity—armies are identified not only by numbers but by the eminent commanders who stand at their head (Bhīṣma and Droṇa), underscoring responsibility and the moral weight borne by leaders in conflict.
Sanjaya describes a scene set in Virāṭa’s city, noting that the Kaurava troops (Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s soldiers) are assembled there, with Bhīṣma and Droṇa prominent at the front, establishing the location and the principal military figures present.