Shloka 28
शल्यवधे कौरवसेनाभङ्गः, भीमस्य गदायुद्धं, दुर्योधनस्य समाह्वानम्
Rout after Śalya’s fall; Bhīma’s mace engagement; Duryodhana’s rally
ते मुहूर्ताद रणे वीरा हस्ताहस्ति विशाम्पते
te muhūrtād raṇe vīrā hastāhasti viśāmpate
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അന്നേ മുഹൂർത്തം മുതൽ, ഹേ പ്രജാനാഥാ, യുദ്ധഭൂമിയിൽ ആ വീരന്മാർ പരസ്പരം അടുക്കി കൈകൈയുദ്ധത്തിൽ പിടിമുറുക്കി.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the immediacy and severity of righteous warfare as experienced by kṣatriyas: when conflict reaches hand-to-hand range, courage, restraint, and responsibility are tested most directly, underscoring the ethical weight of violence and the consequences of choices that lead to such confrontation.
Sañjaya reports to the king that the warriors, without delay, engaged in close-quarters fighting on the battlefield, indicating an escalation into direct hand-to-hand combat.