Shloka 47
युद्धाय भरतश्रेष्ठ देवानिव पुरा बलि: । प्रजानाथ! आपकी सेनामें भगदड़ मच जानेपर आपके पुत्र कुरुराज दुर्योधनने अपने सामने खड़े हुए शत्रुओंपर धावा किया। भरतश्रेष्ठ! जैसे पूर्वकालमें राजा बलिने देवताओंको युद्धके लिये ललकारा था, उसी प्रकार दुर्योधनने भी समस्त पाण्डवोंका युद्धके लिये आह्वान किया ।। त एनमभिगर्जन्त: सहिता: समुपाद्रवन्
sañjaya uvāca | yuddhāya bharataśreṣṭha devān iva purā baliḥ | prajānātha tava senāyāṃ bhagadaḍīṃ macchane sati tava putraḥ kururājo duryodhanaḥ svābhimukhe sthitān śatrūn abhyadhāvat | bharataśreṣṭha yathā pūrvakāle rājā balir devān yuddhāya samāhvayat tathā duryodhano 'pi samastān pāṇḍavān yuddhāya āhvayat || te enam abhigarjantaḥ sahitāḥ samupādravan ||
Sanjaya said: O best of the Bharatas, when panic and rout broke out in your army, your son—Duryodhana, king of the Kurus—charged straight at the enemies standing before him. As in ancient times King Bali challenged the gods to battle, so too did Duryodhana summon all the Pandavas to fight. Then, roaring together, they advanced upon him in a body.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights crisis-leadership and the moral ambiguity of valor: courage can steady a collapsing force, yet when driven by pride and hostility it also intensifies violence. The comparison to Bali frames Duryodhana’s challenge as audacious and defiant, not necessarily righteous.
As the Kaurava army begins to break in panic, Duryodhana personally rushes at the enemies before him and issues a broad challenge to the Pandavas. In response, the opposing warriors, shouting together, surge forward to engage him.