Shloka 5
Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance
संजय उवाच हन्त ते*हं प्रवक्ष्यामि संग्रामं लोमहर्षणम् । यथाभूदू् राक्षसेन्द्रस्य सौभद्रस्य च मारिष
sañjaya uvāca | hanta te 'haṁ pravakṣyāmi saṅgrāmaṁ lomaharṣaṇam | yathābhūd rākṣasendrasya saubhadrasya ca māriṣa ||
ਸੰਜਯ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਹੇ ਆਰਯ! ਹੁਣ ਮੈਂ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਉਸ ਲੋਮਹਰਸ਼ਕ ਸੰਗ੍ਰਾਮ ਦਾ ਯਥਾਰਥ ਵਰਣਨ ਕਰਾਂਗਾ—ਜਿਵੇਂ ਉਹ ਰਾਖਸ਼ਸ-ਇੰਦਰ ਅਤੇ ਸੁਭਦਰਾ-ਪੁੱਤਰ ਦੇ ਵਿਚਕਾਰ ਵਾਪਰਿਆ, ਹੇ ਮਾਰਿਸ਼।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames war as a grave, awe-inspiring reality and emphasizes truthful reporting (yathābhūt—“as it actually happened”). Ethically, it points to the seriousness of kṣatriya conflict: courage and duty are displayed, yet the narration itself acknowledges the terror and cost inherent in battle.
Sanjaya begins a new episode in his report to the king, announcing that he will describe a terrifying combat—specifically, how the fight occurred between the Rākṣasa leader Alambuṣa and Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadrā.