Shloka 24
जयद्रथवधः — The Slaying of Jayadratha
Sunset Vow and Curse-Condition
शत्रुसूदन! आपने पहले भी युद्धमें बहुतेरे कवचधारी, क्रूरकर्मा रणदुर्मद काम्बोजोंको परास्त किया है। धनुष-बाण धारण करनेवाले प्रहारकुशल यवनोंको जीता है। शकों, किरातों, दरदों, बर्बरों, ताम्रलिप्तों तथा हाथोंमें नाना प्रकारके आयुध लिये अन्य बहुत-से मलेच्छोंको पराजित किया है। इन अवसरोंपर पहले कभी कोई किसी प्रकारका भय नहीं हुआ था। फिर इस गायकी खुरके समान तुच्छ युद्धस्थलमें आकर क्या भय हो सकता है? आयुष्मन्! बताइये, इन दो मार्गोर्मेंसे किसके द्वारा आपको अर्जुनके पास पहुँचाऊँ || २० --२३ || केषां क्रुद्धो$सि वार्ष्णेय केषां मृत्युरुपस्थित: । केषां संयमनीमद्य गन्तुमुत्सहते मन:,वार्ष्णेय! आप किनके ऊपर क़ुद्ध हैं, किनकी मौत आ गयी है और किनका मन आज यमपुरीमें जानेके लिये उत्साहित हो रहा है?
śatrusūdana! āpne pūrve'pi yuddhe bahutere kavacadhārī krūrakarmā raṇadurmad kāmbojān parājitaḥ kṛtavān asi. dhanuṣ-bāṇa-dhāriṇaḥ prahārakuśalān yavanān api jitavān asi. śakān kirātān daradān barbarān tāmrāliptān tathā hastayoḥ nānā-vidhāny āyudhāni dhārayantaḥ anyān bahūn mleccḥān api parājitaḥ kṛtavān asi. etāsu avasthāsu pūrvaṃ kadācana kasyacid api bhayaṃ na jātaṃ. tarhi asmin gāyāḥ khura-sadṛśeṇa tucchena yuddhasthale āgatya kathaṃ bhayaṃ bhavet? āyuṣman! etayoḥ dvayoḥ mārgayoḥ madhye kasmin mārgeṇa tvāṃ arjunasya samīpaṃ prāpayāmi? keṣāṃ kruddho'si vārṣṇeya keṣāṃ mṛtyur upasthitaḥ. keṣāṃ saṃyamanīm adya gantum utsahate manaḥ?
Sūta said: “O Slayer of foes! In earlier wars you have already overthrown many mail-clad Kambojas—fierce in deed and maddened for battle. You have conquered the Yavanas, skilled in striking and bearing bow and arrows. You have also defeated the Śakas, Kirātas, Daradas, Barbarians, the people of Tāmralipta, and many other mlecchas carrying diverse weapons in their hands. On those occasions no fear ever arose in anyone. How, then, could there be fear upon coming to this paltry battlefield—trifling as a cow’s hoofprint? Tell me, noble one: by which of these two routes shall I bring you to Arjuna? O Vārṣṇeya, against whom are you enraged? For whom has death drawn near? Whose mind today is eager to go to Yama’s city?”
सूत उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage contrasts past victories over formidable foes with the present moment, questioning the rise of fear and pointing to the ethical-psychological theme that courage should be grounded in discernment and steadiness, not shaken by a ‘small’ circumstance; it also frames impending death as the consequence of reckless hostility.
The Sūta, narrating events, addresses Vārṣṇeya (Kṛṣṇa) and recalls earlier conquests over various warrior peoples, then asks why fear would arise now and requests guidance on which of two routes to take to reach Arjuna, while ominously asking who is about to meet death and go to Yama’s realm.