Shloka 5
Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 77 — Saindhava resistance, Arjuna’s restraint, and Duḥśalā’s supplication
ततस्ते त॑ं महावीर्या राजान: पर्यवारयन् । जिगीषन्तो नरव्याप्रं पूर्व विनिकृता युधि,वे महापराक्रमी क्षत्रिय पहले युद्धमें अर्जुनसे परास्त हो चुके थे और अब उन पुरुषसिंह पार्थको जीतना चाहते थे। अतः उन सबने उन्हें घेर लिया
tataste taṁ mahāvīryā rājānaḥ paryavārayan | jigīṣanto naravyāghraṁ pūrvaṁ vinikṛtā yudhi ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Then those kings of great prowess surrounded him. Eager to conquer that tiger among men, they—who had previously been humbled in battle—now sought to overcome him again, driven by wounded pride and the warrior’s hunger for victory.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring ethical tension in kṣatriya life: the pursuit of victory can be fueled not only by duty but also by wounded pride and the desire to erase past humiliation. It implicitly cautions that martial zeal (jigīṣā) often arises from ego as much as from dharma.
A group of powerful kings encircle the central hero (called ‘tiger among men’). Having been defeated earlier in battle, they now unite and attempt to overpower him, seeking a reversal of their former loss.