Shloka 4
Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ
Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements
ततः प्रववृते युद्ध कुरूणां पाण्डवैः सह । निवृत्तानां महाराज मृत्युं कृत्वा निवर्तनम्,महाराज! तदनन्तर लौटे हुए कौरवोंका पाण्डवोंके साथ मृत्युको ही युद्धसे निवृत्तिकी सीमा नियत करके घोर संग्राम होने लगा
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṁ kurūṇāṁ pāṇḍavaiḥ saha | nivṛttānāṁ mahārāja mṛtyuṁ kṛtvā nivartanam ||
اے مہاراج! اس کے بعد لوٹے ہوئے کوروؤں اور پانڈوؤں کے درمیان پھر ہولناک جنگ چھڑ گئی؛ اور جو پلٹے تھے انہوں نے پسپائی کی حد موت ہی کو ٹھہرا لیا تھا۔
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a warrior ethos where retreat is morally constrained by honor: once they return to battle, they treat death as the only boundary for withdrawal. It reflects the harsh logic of kṣatriya-dharma in epic warfare—valor and steadfastness are prized even when the ethical cost is immense.
After a moment of withdrawal or turning back, the Kuru forces re-engage the Pāṇḍavas. Sañjaya tells Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the combat restarts with a grim determination: those who have returned do not consider retreat an option, as if death itself is the endpoint of disengagement.