Shloka 51
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya-saṃvādaḥ; madhyāhna-saṅgrāma-pravṛttiḥ
Dhritarashtra–Sanjaya dialogue and the midday battle escalation
षष्ट्या च त्रिंशता चैव तदद्भुतमिवा भवत् । भरतनन्दन! राजेन्द्र! जनेश्वर! धृष्टद्युम्नके बाणोंसे आच्छादित होनेपर भी आपके पुत्र दुर्योधनके मनमें व्यथा नहीं हुई। उसने युद्धस्थलमें धृष्टद्युम्नको तुरंत ही नब्बे बाणोंसे घायल कर दिया। वह एक अद्भुत-सी बात थी || ४९-५० ह ।। तस्य सेनापति: क्रुद्धो धनुश्चिच्छेद मारिष
ṣaṣṭyā ca triṃśatā caiva tad adbhutam ivābhavat | bharatanandana rājendra janeśvara dhṛṣṭadyumnake bāṇair ācchādite 'pi tava putrasya duryodhanasya manasi vyathā nābhavat | sa yuddhasthale dhṛṣṭadyumnam āśu navatyā bāṇair viddhavān | tad adbhutam iva || tasya senāpatiḥ kruddho dhanuś ciccheda māriṣa ||
Sañjaya disse: “Com sessenta e mais trinta—noventa ao todo—pareceu quase um prodígio. Ó alegria dos Bhāratas, ó rei entre reis, ó senhor dos homens: embora Dhṛṣṭadyumna estivesse coberto de flechas, nenhuma angústia surgiu no coração de teu filho Duryodhana. No campo de batalha, ele feriu Dhṛṣṭadyumna de pronto com noventa setas. Era como se algo extraordinário tivesse ocorrido. Então o comandante de Dhṛṣṭadyumna, enfurecido, cortou-lhe o arco, ó venerável.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights battlefield steadfastness and the warrior ideal of remaining unshaken under pressure. Ethically, it also shows how epic narration can frame martial ferocity as ‘wondrous,’ inviting readers to reflect on the tension between valor and the destructive momentum of war.
Sanjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana, undistressed even while Dhṛṣṭadyumna is showered with arrows, quickly wounds Dhṛṣṭadyumna with ninety arrows. Immediately after, an enraged commander (contextually tied to Dhṛṣṭadyumna’s side) cuts the bow, escalating the duel.