Shloka 49
भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः
Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā
ततस्तेषु प्रयातेषु धृष्टद्युम्नपुरस्कृता: । आययु: पाण्डवा राजन् विनिध्नन्त: सम तावकम्
tatasteṣu prayāteṣu dhṛṣṭadyumnapuraskṛtāḥ | āyayuḥ pāṇḍavā rājan vidhinantaḥ sma tāvakam ||
Sañjaya berkata: Apabila para pahlawan itu telah beredar, para Pāṇḍava—dengan Dhṛṣṭadyumna di hadapan sebagai pendahulu—maju, wahai Raja, sambil menumpaskan bala tentera tuanku. Rangkap ini menegaskan momentum pertempuran yang tidak mengenal henti: kepimpinan di barisan depan membangkitkan tindakan yang tersusun, sementara ketegangan etika perang tersirat apabila kemenangan dikejar melalui kekerasan yang dianggap perlu dalam tata tertib medan laga.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the power of leadership and formation in warfare: with a capable commander at the forefront, an army advances decisively. Ethically, it reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension—duty-bound action in war can be resolute and organized, yet it remains morally weighty because it involves the destruction of kin and compatriots.
After certain warriors have moved away or departed, the Pāṇḍavas, with Dhṛṣṭadyumna leading from the front, advance against the Kaurava forces and begin striking them down, as Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra.