Shloka 21
Karṇa’s Camp-Council Discourse: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament, Sañjaya’s Counsel, and Karṇa’s Request for Śalya
Book 8, Chapter 22
पराजित्य रणे तं तु कौरव्यं पाण्डुनन्दन: । दुर्योधनबलं दृष्टवा प्रममाथ समनन््तत:,कुरुवंशी दुःशासनको रणभूमिमें पराजित करके पाण्डुनन्दन सहदेवने दुर्योधनकी सेनाको वहाँ उपस्थित देख उसे सब ओरसे मथ डाला
parājitya raṇe taṃ tu kauravyaṃ pāṇḍunandanaḥ | duryodhanabalaṃ dṛṣṭvā pramamātha samantataḥ ||
Sañjaya said: Having defeated that Kaurava in battle, the son of Pāṇḍu—on seeing Duryodhana’s forces drawn up there—proceeded to crush them on every side. The verse underscores the relentless momentum of war: victory over a single champion immediately turns into a wider assault against the opposing host.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of kṣatriya-dharma: after overcoming an opponent, a warrior must immediately confront the larger threat without hesitation. It also reflects the escalating nature of conflict—individual duels rapidly expand into collective devastation.
Sahadeva (a Pāṇḍava) defeats a Kaurava warrior—identified in the Gītā Press note as Duhśāsana—and then, seeing Duryodhana’s forces present, attacks and routs them from all directions.