Shloka 9
Kṛṣṇa-vīrya-kathana
Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s appraisal of Vāsudeva’s deeds
वासितासंगमे यद्वदजय्यं प्रति यूथपै: । निजघान रणे वीरान् वीर: पुरुषसत्तम:
vāsitāsaṅgame yadvad ajayyaṃ prati yūthapaiḥ | nijaghāna raṇe vīrān vīraḥ puruṣasattamaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Just as, in a close and tumultuous clash, a seemingly unconquerable foe is struck down by the leaders of a herd acting together, so too that foremost of men—the heroic warrior—slew many heroes in the battle.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that what seems ‘unconquerable’ (ajayya) can be overcome through coordinated leadership and collective force (yūthapaiḥ), while also reminding the reader of the harsh moral reality of war—victory is often purchased through the destruction of many brave lives.
The narrator describes a foremost warrior (puruṣasattamaḥ) cutting down many heroes in the midst of battle, using a simile of herd-leaders bringing down a formidable opponent in a close clash to convey the intensity and decisiveness of the fighting.