Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ततः शूरा: समासाद्य समरे ते परस्परम्‌ । नेत्रैरनिमिषै राजन्नवैक्षन्त परस्परम्‌,राजन! तदनन्तर समस्त शूरवीर समरभूमिमें पहुँचकर परस्पर एक-दूसरेको एकटक नेत्रोंसे देखने लगे

Transliteration

tataḥ śūrāḥ samāsādya samare te parasparam | netrair animiṣair rājann avaikṣanta parasparam ||

Translation

రాజా! ఆ తరువాత ఆ శూరులు సమరభూమిలో పరస్పరం ఎదురెదురుగా చేరి, అనిమిష నేత్రాలతో ఒకరినొకరు స్థిరంగా చూచిరి.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

शूराःheroes, warriors

समासाद्यhaving approached/reached

समरेin battle

तेthey

परस्परम्each other, mutually

नेत्रैःwith (their) eyes

अनिमिषैःunblinking

राजन्O king

अवैक्षन्तthey looked at, beheld

परस्परम्each other

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

King (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied by address 'rājan')

the warriors/heroes (collective)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the psychological and ethical threshold of battle: warriors, bound by kṣatriya-dharma, meet their opponents with unwavering attention and resolve. It underscores steadiness (animiṣa-dṛṣṭi) as a sign of courage and commitment to one’s chosen duty, even when the act is grave.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a charged pause before combat: the assembled heroes reach the battlefield and stare at each other without blinking, measuring strength and intent. It sets the scene for imminent engagement and heightens the tension between the two sides.