Shloka 20
भीमसेन-दुर्योधन-समागमः
Bhīmasena–Duryodhana Engagement at Sunset
रथसड्घा नरव्याप्रा: समायान्तश्न संयुगे । विरेजु: समरे राजन् ग्रहा इव नभस्तले,राजन! रथोंके समूह और नरश्रेष्ठ नरेशगण युद्धमें आते हुए उसी प्रकार शोभा पा रहे थे, जैसे आकाशमें ग्रह-नक्षत्र सुशोभित होते हैं
rathasaṅghā naravyāprāḥ samāyāntaś ca saṃyuge | virejuḥ samare rājan grahā iva nabhastale ||
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, ketika pertempuran hampir bertaut, pasukan kereta perang yang berbaris rapat dan para lelaki terunggul—raja-raja pahlawan—maju memasuki gelanggang. Di medan itu mereka bersinar dengan kemegahan yang menggerunkan, bagaikan planet dan bintang menghiasi kubah langit.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war can appear outwardly magnificent—like the ordered beauty of the heavens—yet it remains a human clash driven by royal ambition and martial duty. It invites reflection on the contrast between aesthetic splendor and the grave ethical weight of battle.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the chariot formations and leading warriors are advancing into combat. Their assembled forces glitter on the battlefield, compared poetically to planets and stars shining in the sky.