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 ||
Дхритараштра сказал: «О Санджая, когда на поле брани из Пандавов осталось лишь немного — сыновей Притхи, яростно разгневанных и сражающихся со всей доблестью, — поведай мне: что было сделано тогда?»
धृतराष्ट उवाच
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.