Shloka 69
भीष्मधनंजयद्वैरथम्
Bhīṣma–Dhanaṃjaya Duel and the Opening Clash
इति सम वाचोडश्रूयन्त प्रोच्चरन्त्यस्ततस्ततः । गाड़ेयार्जुनयो: संख्ये स्तवयुक्ता विशाम्पते,प्रजानाथ! इस प्रकार रणभूमिमें भीष्म और अर्जुनकी स्तुतिप्रशंसासे युक्त बहुत-सी बातें इधर-उधर लोगोंके मुँहले निकलती और सुनायी देती थीं
iti sama-vāco ’śrūyanta proccarantyas tataḥ tataḥ | gāṅgeyārjunayoḥ saṅkhye stava-yuktā viśāmpate prajānātha ||
Sañjaya disse: “Assim, no campo de batalha, ouviam-se repetidas vezes, aqui e ali, palavras de igual medida, cheias de louvor e aclamação a Bhīṣma, filho do Ganges, e a Arjuna, ó senhor do povo, ó rei.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid war, society evaluates conduct and prowess; public speech becomes a moral mirror, praising exemplary kṣatriya qualities such as courage, steadiness, and mastery—here seen in the acclaim for Bhīṣma and Arjuna.
Sañjaya reports to the king that, across the battlefield, people are audibly voicing laudatory remarks about the combat between Bhīṣma and Arjuna—praise that spreads from place to place as the fight unfolds.