Shloka 12
अध्याय १४६ — निशायां सात्यकिदुर्योधनयुद्धम् / Chapter 146 — Night Battle: Sātyaki and Duryodhana; Śakuni’s Encirclement of Arjuna
तयोर्युद्धमभूद् राजन् दिनार्ध चित्रमद्भुतम् । बाहुयुद्धे सुबलिनो: प्रसक्तं पुरुषर्षभ
tayor yuddham abhūd rājan dinārdhaṁ citram adbhutam | bāhuyuddhe subalinoḥ prasaktaṁ puruṣarṣabha ||
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, pertempuran antara mereka berdua berlanjutan selama setengah hari—ganjil lagi menakjubkan untuk disaksikan. Kedua-dua pahlawan yang amat kuat itu pun terlibat sepenuhnya dalam pertarungan jarak dekat, wahai yang termulia antara manusia.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the awe-inspiring intensity of warfare and the extraordinary endurance of great warriors. Ethically, it underscores how martial excellence and steadfastness can appear ‘wondrous’ even amid destructive conflict, inviting reflection on the tragic grandeur of war rather than celebrating violence for its own sake.
Sañjaya reports to the king that two unnamed fighters battled continuously for half a day. The fight escalated into bāhuyuddha—close, hand-to-hand engagement—between two exceptionally strong combatants, and the spectacle was described as astonishing.