Shloka 5
भीष्मस्य मण्डलव्यूहः — Bhīṣma’s Maṇḍala Battle-Formation and the Opening Engagements
तमुदीर्यन्तमालोक्य राजा दुर्योधनस्तत: । रथानामयुतं तस्य प्रेषयामास भारत,भारत! उस समय उन्हें युद्धमें बढ़ते देख राजा दुर्योधनने उनका सामना करनेके लिये दस हजार रथियोंकी सेना भेजी
tam udīryantam ālokya rājā duryodhanas tataḥ | rathānām ayutaṁ tasya preṣayāmāsa bhārata ||
Sañjaya said: Seeing him advancing in battle, King Duryodhana then dispatched against him a force of ten thousand chariot-warriors, O Bhārata—an escalation that reveals how fear and pride can drive a ruler to multiply violence rather than seek restraint.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring Mahābhārata ethic: when rulers act from pride and anxiety, they tend to escalate conflict through force rather than pursue restraint, counsel, or reconciliation—thereby deepening adharma and suffering.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana, noticing an opponent advancing on the battlefield, responds by sending a large contingent—ten thousand chariot-warriors—to confront and check that advance.