Shloka 18
चित्रसेनगन्धर्वैः कौरवसंनिपातः
Citrasena and the Kaurava engagement
विग्रह: सम्प्रवर्तेत भूतभेदान्महाबल । तत्र त्वं मां रणे तात यथाश्रद्ध॑ विजेष्यसि
vigrahaḥ sampravarteta bhūtabhedān mahābala | tatra tvaṃ māṃ raṇe tāta yathāśraddhaṃ vijeṣyasi ||
O du Starkarmiger, wenn ein Streit aus den Spaltungen unter den Wesen entstünde, dann würdest du dort—auf dem Schlachtfeld, mein lieber Sohn—mich besiegen nach dem Maß deines Glaubens und deines Entschlusses. Der Ausgang folgt der Aufrichtigkeit deiner inneren Hingabe, nicht bloß der Kraft allein.
श॒क्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
Victory in a righteous trial is linked not only to strength but to śraddhā—inner conviction, sincerity, and steadfast intent. The verse frames success as proportionate to one’s faith and resolve when facing conflict born of division.
Śakra (Indra) addresses a powerful hero and foretells that if a battle arises due to divisions among beings, the hero will be able to overcome even Śakra in combat—yet the extent of that victory will correspond to the hero’s śraddhā.