Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 58
अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः
Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana
तस्य तदू वचन राज्ञ: पूजयित्वा महारथा:
tasya tad u vacanaṁ rājñaḥ pūjayitvā mahārathāḥ punar yuddhāya pāṇḍavānām abhimukham ājagmuḥ; parājayo hy eṣām asahyaḥ samabhavat, tasmāt te parākrame eva manaḥ cakruḥ.
Sañjaya said: Honouring the king’s words, those great chariot-warriors once again advanced to face the Pāṇḍavas for battle. Defeat had become unbearable to them; therefore they fixed their minds solely on valour and renewed exertion in war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how honour and wounded pride can drive warriors back into conflict: they respect the king’s command and, unable to bear defeat, commit themselves to renewed exertion. Ethically, it shows the tension between kṣatriya resolve and the danger of letting ego and intolerance of loss dictate action.
After hearing and accepting the king’s words (Duryodhana’s directive), the great chariot-warriors regroup and advance again to confront the Pāṇḍavas. Their previous setback feels intolerable, so they return with a single-minded focus on displaying prowess in battle.
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