Shloka 20
शल्यवधे कौरवसेनाभङ्गः, भीमस्य गदायुद्धं, दुर्योधनस्य समाह्वानम्
Rout after Śalya’s fall; Bhīma’s mace engagement; Duryodhana’s rally
सहितैश्नापि योद्धव्यमित्येष समय: कृत:
sahitaiś cāpi yoddhavyam ity eṣa samayaḥ kṛtaḥ
สัญชัยกล่าวว่า “ได้ตกลงเป็นสัญญาแน่นอนแล้วว่า ต้องรบแม้ในกระบวนทัพอันชิดแน่น โดยยืนเคียงกันเป็นหมู่”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the binding force of a samaya (agreed rule/compact) in warfare: once a convention is established, warriors are expected to uphold it, reflecting the ethical weight of pledged conduct (dharma) even amid violence.
Sañjaya reports that a specific rule of engagement has been set: the combatants are to fight while remaining together/in close formation, indicating an organized, collective mode of battle rather than scattered individual duels.