Shloka 20
ध्ृतराष्ट्र ववाच तस्मिन्नन्तहिते तूर्ण कूटयोधिनि राक्षसे । मामकै: प्रतिपन्नं यत् तन््ममाचक्ष्व संजय,धृतराष्ट्रने पूछा--संजय! बताओ, माया-युद्ध करनेवाले उस राक्षसके तत्काल अदृश्य हो जानेपर मेरे पुत्रोंने क्या सोचा और क्या किया?
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca | tasminn antahite tūrṇaṁ kūṭa-yodhini rākṣase | māmakaiḥ pratipannaṁ yat tan mamācakṣva sañjaya ||
ドリタラーシュトラは問うた。「サンジャヤよ。幻術と欺きの戦いをなすあの羅刹が、たちまち姿を消したとき、わが子らは何を悟り、何を決し、そして何をしたのか、語ってくれ。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension in war: when combat is driven by māyā and deception (kūṭa-yuddha), leaders become anxious about right conduct and practical response. It frames a moral concern—how one should judge and act when the opponent’s methods undermine straightforward kṣatriya norms.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sañjaya about a critical moment: a rākṣasa skilled in deceptive fighting suddenly becomes invisible. The king asks what the Kauravas (his side) thought, decided, and did in response to that disappearance.