Shloka 22
Adhyāya 227: Duryodhana’s Deliberation and the Ghoṣa-yātrā Pretext
Dvaita-vana
तमप्रतिबलं दृष्टवा विषण्णवदनास्तु ता:,परंतु स्कन्दका अप्रतिम बल देखकर उनके मुखपर उदासी छा गयी। वे सोचने लगीं --“इस वीरको पराजित करना असम्भव है।' ऐसा निश्चय होनेपर वे उन्हींकी शरणमें गयीं और बोलीं--“महाबली कुमार! तुम हमारे पुत्र हो जाओ, हमें माता मान लो
tam apratibalaṃ dṛṣṭvā viṣaṇṇavadanās tu tāḥ | parantu skandakaṃ apratima-balaṃ dṛṣṭvā mukheṣv udāsīnatā samapadyata | te cintayām āsuḥ—“asya vīrasya parājayo ’sambhavaḥ” iti | evaṃ niścitya tāḥ tasyaiva śaraṇaṃ jagmuḥ, ūcuś ca—“mahābali kumāra! tvaṃ asmākaṃ putro bhava; asmān mātṝn manyasva” iti |
قال ماركاندييا: لما رأينه ممن لا طاقة لهنّ به، خيّم الأسى على وجوههنّ. وحين أبصرن سكَندَكَة ذا القوة التي لا تُجارى، قلن في أنفسهنّ: «إنه يستحيل قهر هذا البطل». فلما استقرّ رأيهنّ على ذلك، لجأن إليه وقلن: «يا أيها الأمير عظيم البأس، كن ابنًا لنا، واقبلنا أمهاتٍ لك».
मार्कण्डेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
When opposition is futile and violence would be fruitless, dharma may lie in seeking refuge and transforming enmity into a protective relationship. The women choose śaraṇāgati—appealing to the hero’s capacity to protect rather than escalating conflict.
The women see Skandaka’s unmatched strength, become disheartened at the prospect of defeating him, conclude it is impossible, and therefore approach him for protection, asking him to become their son and to regard them as mothers.