Shloka 20
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सैन्यप्रशंसा, भेदनवृत्तान्त-प्रश्नः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya Dialogue: Praise of the Host and Inquiry after the Breach
अध्यर्थेन सहस्रेण पुत्रो दुर्मर्षणस्तव । अग्रतः सर्वसैन्यानां युध्यमानो व्यवस्थित:,जिनपर युद्धकुशल हाथीसवार आरूढ थे, ऐसे भयंकर रूप तथा पराक्रमवाले डेढ़ हजार कवचधारी मतवाले गजराजोंके साथ आकर आपका पुत्र दुर्मर्षण युद्धके लिये उद्यत हो सम्पूर्ण सेनाओंके आगे खड़ा हुआ
adhyardhena sahasreṇa putro durmarṣaṇas tava | agrataḥ sarvasainyānāṃ yudhyamāno vyavasthitaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: With a force numbering a thousand and a half, your son Durmarṣaṇa, set for battle, took his stand in the very front of all the armies, fighting resolutely. The scene underscores the Kaurava resolve to press the war forward through displays of massed strength and personal valor, even as the conflict continues to deepen the moral burden of fratricidal combat.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how martial resolve and numerical strength are marshaled to sustain war; ethically, it points to the escalating commitment to violence in a kin-war, where steadfastness in battle can coexist with an increasing weight of adharma and suffering.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Durmarṣaṇa, supported by a contingent of about 1500, advances to the very front of the forces and stands fighting, signaling an aggressive Kaurava posture on the battlefield.