Shloka 23
जयद्रथवधः — The Slaying of Jayadratha
Sunset Vow and Curse-Condition
किमुतैतत् समासाद्य धीरसंयुगगोष्पदम् | आयुष्मन् कतरेण त्वां प्रापपामि धनंजयम्
kim utaitat samāsādya dhīra-saṁyuga-goṣpadam | āyuṣman katareṇa tvāṁ prāpapāmi dhanaṁjayam
Sūta said: “What is this, that you have come upon a battlefield made so small—like a mere cow’s hoofprint—for the steadfast and heroic? O long-lived one, by which course may I reach you, Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)?”
सूत उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses the metaphor of a ‘cow’s hoofprint’ (goṣpada) to suggest that for the truly steadfast (dhīra), even a formidable battle can be made small—through courage, skill, and resolve. Ethically, it highlights the kṣatriya ideal of meeting conflict without shrinking, while also acknowledging the speaker’s urgency and dependence on the hero’s guidance.
Sūta speaks in a tone of astonishment and inquiry, addressing a respected person (‘āyuṣman’) and asking which route or means will allow him to reach Dhanañjaya (Arjuna). The line frames the battlefield as something the heroic can traverse with ease, while the speaker seeks direction amid the turmoil of war.