Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
त्वदीयास्तांस्तु सम्प्रेक्ष्य सर्वत: समभिद्रुतान् । रथाश्वपत्तिद्विरदा: पाण्डवानभिदुद्रुवु:,पाण्डव-सैनिकोंको सब ओरसे आक्रमण करते देख आपके रथी, घुड़सवार, पैदल और हाथीसवार भी पाण्डवोंपर टूट पड़े
tvadīyāstāṃstu samprekṣya sarvataḥ samabhidrutān | rathāśvapattidviradāḥ pāṇḍavānabhidudruvuḥ ||
三阇耶说道:见你方兵众从四面奔突而来,你军中的战士——乘战车者、骑马者、步战者与乘象者——也直扑般度五子。战势遂膨胀为多形之攻,严整的队列与武士之责,驱使人兽一同挤入战阵的拥塞之中。
संजय उवाच
The verse underscores how, in war, collective momentum and perceived necessity (kṣatriya-dharma and loyalty to one’s side) can rapidly escalate violence: once an all-sided assault is seen, the entire fourfold army responds in kind. It invites reflection on how duty and group allegiance can override restraint, intensifying conflict.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, observing the opposing troops pressing in from all directions, the Kaurava host—chariot-warriors, cavalry, infantry, and elephant-corps—surged forward and attacked the Pāṇḍavas, turning the encounter into a full-scale charge.