Shloka 163
अनुक्रमणिकाध्यायः (Anukramaṇikā Adhyāya) — Invocation, Narrator Frame, and Textual Scope
(यदाश्रौषं वनवासे तु पार्थान् समागतान् महर्षिशि: पुराणै: । उपास्यमानान् सगणैर्जातसख्यान् तदा नाशंसे विजयाय संजय ।॥) यदाश्रौषं त्रिदिवस्थं धनज्जयं शक्रात् साक्षाद् दिव्यमस्त्रं यथावत् | अधीयानं शंसितं सत्यसन्ध॑ तदा नाशंसे विजयाय संजय,जब मैंने सुना कि वनवासमें भी कदुन्तीपुत्रोंके पास पुरातन महर्षिगण पधारते और उनसे मिलते हैं। उनके साथ उठते-बैठते और निवास करते हैं तथा सेवक-सम्बन्धियोंसहित पाण्डवोंके प्रति उनका मैत्रीभाव हो गया है। संजय! तभीसे मुझे अपने पक्षकी विजयका विश्वास नहीं रह गया था। जब मैंने सुना कि सत्यसंध धनंजय अर्जुन स्वर्गमें गये हुए हैं और वहाँ साक्षात् इन्द्रसे दिव्य अस्त्र-शस्त्रकी विधिपूर्वक शिक्षा प्राप्त कर रहे हैं और वहाँ उनके पौरुष एवं ब्रह्मचर्य आदिकी प्रशंसा हो रही है, संजय! तभीसे मेरी युद्धमें विजयकी आशा जाती रही
yadāśrauṣaṁ vanavāse tu pārthān samāgatān maharṣibhiḥ purāṇaiḥ | upāsyamānān sagaṇair jātasakhyān tadā nāśaṁse vijayāya sañjaya || yadāśrauṣaṁ tridivasthaṁ dhanañjayaṁ śakrāt sākṣād divyam astraṁ yathāvat | adhīyānaṁ śaṁsitaṁ satyasandhaṁ tadā nāśaṁse vijayāya sañjaya ||
When I heard that, even during their forest exile, the sons of Pṛthā were being visited by ancient seers—who associated with them, lived among them with their retinues, and had grown friendly toward the Pāṇḍavas—I lost confidence that victory could be ours, O Sañjaya. And when I heard that the truth-bound Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), dwelling in heaven, was receiving directly from Śakra (Indra) the proper instruction in divine weapons, and that his valor and disciplined conduct were being praised there—then again, O Sañjaya, my hope of victory in war slipped away.
Educational Q&A
Moral and spiritual legitimacy (support of sages, adherence to truth, disciplined conduct) functions as a decisive form of strength: it shapes alliances, divine favor, and confidence, undermining mere political or numerical power.
The speaker reports hearing two developments: (1) revered seers repeatedly visit and befriend the Pāṇḍavas even during exile, and (2) Arjuna has gone to heaven and is being properly trained by Indra in divine weapons while receiving praise. These reports make the speaker abandon hope of victory for his own side.