Shloka 20
भीष्मवधाय प्रयाणम् — The Advance toward Bhīṣma and Counter-Engagements
अपराह्ने महाराज प्रावर्तत महारण: । तावकानां च बलिनां परेषां चैव भारत,महाराज! भरतनन्दन! तब अपराह्लकालमें आपके और पाण्डवपक्षके अत्यन्त बलवान योद्धाओं में बड़ा भारी युद्ध आरम्भ हुआ
aparāhṇe mahārāja prāvartata mahāraṇaḥ | tāvakānāṁ ca balināṁ pareṣāṁ caiva bhārata ||
Sañjaya said: “In the afternoon, O King, a great battle broke out—between your own mighty warriors and those of the opposing side, O descendant of Bharata.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the inexorable escalation of conflict once opposing forces commit to battle; it frames war as a grave, collective event involving the strongest on both sides, inviting reflection on responsibility and the consequences of rivalry within a single lineage.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, in the afternoon, intense fighting begins between the powerful warriors of the Kaurava army and the powerful warriors of the opposing (Pāṇḍava) side.