Shloka 29
रणभूमिवर्णनम् — Devāsuropama-yuddha and the ‘River’ Metaphor of the Battlefield
धृष्टद्युम्न: शिखण्डी च सात्यकिश्व॒ महारथ:
dhṛṣṭadyumnaḥ śikhaṇḍī ca sātyakiś ca mahārathaḥ
Sinabi ni Sañjaya: “Si Dhṛṣṭadyumna, si Śikhaṇḍī, at si Sātyaki—bawat isa’y isang dakilang mandirigmang karwahe (mahāratha)—(sumulong/namukod-tangi sa pagharap).” Itinatampok ng linya ang pag-asa ng panig ng Pāṇḍava sa mga subok na kampeon sa sukdulang karahasan ng digmaan, kung saan ang galing ng tao ay paulit-ulit na tinatawag upang paglingkuran ang pinagtatalunang kaayusang makatarungan.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how, in the moral chaos of war, responsibility is carried by recognized leaders and elite warriors; their prowess is not merely personal glory but a burden of duty undertaken for their side’s perceived dharma.
Sañjaya names key Pāṇḍava champions—Dhṛṣṭadyumna, Śikhaṇḍī, and Sātyaki—identifying them as mahārathas, typically as part of a battlefield roll-call describing who is present, advancing, or taking position in the fighting.