Shloka 56
Sātyaki-praveśaḥ and Duryodhana-saṃnipātaḥ
Sātyaki’s passage and Duryodhana’s mass engagement
ततो युद्धमभूद् राज॑स्तेषां तव च धन्विनाम्
tato yuddham abhūd rājas teṣāṃ tava ca dhanvinām
サञ्जयは言った。「それから、王よ、彼らの戦士たちと、そなたの弓兵たちとの間に、激烈な戦が起こった。」この一句は、相反する義務と忠誠が暴力へと凝り固まるとき、武力衝突が避けがたくなり、両軍を相互破滅へ引きずり込むという悲劇の必然を示している。
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war emerges as a consequence of entrenched allegiance and duty: once sides are fixed, even rightful obligations (kṣatriya-dharma) can culminate in destructive conflict, reminding the listener of the ethical weight and cost of such choices.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that fighting has broken out between the opposing warriors and the king’s own archers, marking an escalation into direct battle in the Drona Parva context.