Shloka 17
Adhyāya 74 (Book 6, Bhīṣma-parva): Bhīma–Duryodhana re-engagement and afternoon escalation
इसके सिवा आपके पुत्रकी आज्ञासे चौदह हजार अच्छे घुड़सवार सुबलपुत्र शकुनिको घेरकर खड़े हुए ।।
sañjaya uvāca | tataḥ te sahitāḥ sarve vibhakta-ratha-vāhanāḥ | arjunaṃ samare jaghnus tāvakā bharatarṣabha ||
Sañjaya berkata: Maka semua pahlawan di pihak tuanku, walau bertindak bersama namun masing-masing dengan kereta dan tunggangan yang terpisah, menyerbu Arjuna di medan perang—menghentamnya dengan segala senjata, wahai banteng di antara kaum Bharata.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how allegiance and command can mobilize many to concentrate force on a single opponent, raising the ethical tension of war: individual valor operates within collective, faction-driven aggression, a recurring Mahābhārata reflection on kṣatriya duty and the costs of conflict.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the warriors on the Kaurava side, though each in his own chariot or mount, collectively turn their attack toward Arjuna on the battlefield, striking at him with weapons.