अर्जुनस्य शीघ्रप्रयाणं भीम-शकुनियुद्धं च
Arjuna’s Rapid Advance and the Bhīma–Śakuni Encounter
युद्धशौण्डौ समाहूतावागतौ तौ रणाध्वरम्
yuddhaśauṇḍau samāhūtāv āgatau tau raṇādhvaram
Disse Sañjaya: Aqueles dois, afamados por sua proeza na guerra, uma vez convocados, vieram ao campo de batalha—como participantes que chegam a um solene sacrifício de guerra—prontos para cumprir o dever sombrio que o conflito exigia.
संजय उवाच
The verse frames warfare through the metaphor of a sacrifice (adhvara), suggesting that for kṣatriyas the battlefield is a solemn arena of duty where courage and obligation are enacted—yet with an implicit ethical weight, since this ‘sacrifice’ consumes lives rather than offerings.
Sañjaya reports that two battle-eager warriors, having been summoned, arrive at the battlefield, indicating the immediate mobilization of key fighters and the escalation of the conflict.