Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 226
अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः
Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana
पार्थपार्षतयो श्वान्ये जगृहुस्तत्र नामनी । वे समस्त सैनिक भी भीमसेन और धूृष्टद्युम्मका डटकर सामना करने लगे। दूसरे बहुत- से योद्धा वहाँ उन दोनोंके नाम ले-लेकर ललकारने लगे
pārthapārṣatayau śvāny e jagṛhus tatra nāmanī |
Sañjaya said: There, warriors seized upon the names of Pārtha (Arjuna) and Pārṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna) and shouted them aloud—challenging them directly. The entire host, standing firm, pressed forward to confront Bhīmasena and Dhṛṣṭadyumna, while many other fighters repeatedly called out those two by name, hurling taunts and summons in the heat of battle. The scene underscores how, in war, fame and responsibility become targets: renowned leaders are singled out, and the moral weight of command draws both challenge and scrutiny.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic: renowned leaders are publicly challenged and held to account. In kṣatriya warfare, calling a hero by name is both a provocation and an acknowledgment of stature—reminding that authority brings heightened scrutiny and the duty to stand firm under direct challenge.
During the fighting, many warriors loudly take up and repeat the names of Pārtha (Arjuna) and Pārṣata (Dhṛṣṭadyumna), calling them out as targets and rivals. The army collectively advances to face the prominent Pāṇḍava leaders—especially Bhīmasena and Dhṛṣṭadyumna—amid taunts and shouted challenges.
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