Shloka 23
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — इरावान्-आवन्त्ययोः युद्धम्, घटोत्कच-भगदत्त-संघर्षः, मद्रेश्वर-विक्षेपः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya Dialogue: Irāvān vs the Avanti princes; Ghaṭotkaca vs Bhagadatta; Śalya checked by the Mādrī twins
पाण्डवार्थाय नियतं देवास्तत्र समागता: । युध्यन्ते मामकं सैन्यं यथावध्यत संजय,संजय! निश्चय ही पाण्डवोंके लिये देवता आकर मेरी सेनाके साथ युद्ध करते हैं, तभी तो वह प्रतिदिन मारी जा रही है
pāṇḍavārthāya niyataṃ devās tatra samāgatāḥ | yudhyante māmakaṃ sainyaṃ yathāvadhyata sañjaya sañjaya ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Demi Pāṇḍava, para dewa pasti telah berhimpun di sana. Mereka berperang melawan tenteraku—sebab itulah ia ditebas dan ditumpaskan hari demi hari, wahai Sañjaya!”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a common Mahābhārata theme: when a cause aligns with dharma, it is perceived as supported by divine order. It also shows how, in the face of repeated losses, one may interpret events as driven by fate or divine intervention rather than mere human strategy.
Sañjaya reports the battlefield situation and conveys the sense that the Pāṇḍavas are prevailing so decisively that it seems as if the gods themselves have come to fight on their side, resulting in the continual destruction of the Kaurava forces.