Shloka 36
रणभूमिवर्णनम् — Devāsuropama-yuddha and the ‘River’ Metaphor of the Battlefield
कुरुष्वल्पावशिष्टेषु पाण्डवेषु च संयुगे । सुसंरब्धेषु पार्थेषु पराक्रान्तेषु संजय
kuruṣv alpāvaśiṣṭeṣu pāṇḍaveṣu ca saṃyuge | susaṃrabdheṣu pārtheṣu parākrānteṣu sañjaya ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra berkata: “Wahai Sañjaya, apabila di medan perang hanya tinggal beberapa orang Pāṇḍava—putera-putera Pṛthā yang sedang menyala amarahnya dan bertempur dengan segenap keberanian—katakan kepadaku, apakah yang dilakukan ketika itu?”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral tension of war: even when victory seems near, the righteous opponent’s courage and wrath can intensify, and a ruler’s attachment and fear drive anxious questioning. It implicitly critiques fixation on outcomes over dharmic reflection.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra questions Sañjaya about the course of the battle at a late stage, when the Pāṇḍavas are few yet fiercely determined and valorous, seeking to know what actions unfolded in that critical situation.