Shloka 24
भीमकर्णसमागमः | Bhīma–Karṇa Encounter
तदस्य क्षत्रियास्तत्र सर्व एवाभ्यपूजयन् । यदर्जुनहृषीकेशौ प्रत्युद्याती न््यवारयत्,अपने सामने आये हुए श्रीकृष्ण और अर्जुनको दुर्योधनने जो रोक दिया, उसके इस कार्यकी वहाँ सभी क्षत्रियोंने भूरि-भूरि प्रशंसा की
sañjaya uvāca | tad asya kṣatriyās tatra sarva evābhyapūjayan | yad arjuna-hṛṣīkeśau pratyudyātīn nyavārayat ||
Sañjaya said: There, all the kṣatriyas praised him greatly for this deed—because he (Duryodhana) checked Arjuna and Hṛṣīkeśa (Kṛṣṇa) as they advanced to meet him. In the war’s moral atmosphere, the warriors applaud what they see as bold resistance and tactical nerve, even though it is directed against the divinely guided side.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how wartime values can invert moral perception: courage and defiance are publicly celebrated even when employed in service of an unrighteous cause. It invites reflection on the difference between social acclaim (kīrti) and ethical rightness (dharma).
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana, facing Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna who advance toward him, manages to stop or check them; witnessing this, the assembled kṣatriya warriors praise Duryodhana’s bold act.