Shloka 66
Karṇa’s advance against the Pāṇḍava host; Arjuna’s clash with the Saṃśaptakas (कर्णस्य पाण्डवसेनाप्रवेशः—अर्जुनस्य संशप्तकसंप्रहारः)
दमेन तपसा चैव नियमेन समाधिना । शत्रुओंको संताप देनेवाले नरेश! उन तीनोंने तपस्याके द्वारा अपने शरीरोंको सुखा दिया। वे इन्द्रिय-संयम, तप, नियम और समाधिसे संयुक्त रहने लगे
damena tapasā caiva niyamena samādhinā | śatrūṇāṃ santāpa-denevāle nareśa! te trayo 'pi tapasyayā sva-śarīrāṇi śoṣayām āsuḥ | indriya-saṃyama-tapaḥ-niyama-samādhi-saṃyuktā babhūvuḥ |
Duryodhana sprach: «O König, der den Feinden Qual bereitet! Durch Selbstzucht (dama), Askese (tapas), Observanzen (niyama) und tiefe Sammlung (samādhi) ließen jene drei ihre Körper durch Bußübung austrocknen. Sie blieben standhaft — die Sinne gezügelt, dem tapas ergeben, durch Gelübde gebunden und in meditativer Versenkung gegründet.»
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a classical ethical-spiritual ideal: mastery over the senses (dama), sustained austerity (tapas), disciplined observance (niyama), and mental absorption (samādhi). Together these practices forge inner power and steadfastness, even to the point of bodily emaciation, implying that resolve and discipline can be stronger than physical comfort.
Duryodhana addresses a king (praised as a tormentor of enemies) and describes “those three” as having undertaken severe ascetic discipline—drying up their bodies through tapas—while remaining established in self-restraint, vows, and meditative concentration. The statement functions as a characterization of their formidable resolve within the war-time discourse.