Shloka 263
धृतराष्ट्र–संजय संवादः: कर्ण–घटोत्कचयोर्निशायुद्धवर्णनम्
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya Dialogue: Description of the Night Engagement of Karṇa and Ghaṭotkaca
सीदेत समरे जिष्णो नात्र कार्या विचारणा | “भारत! दुर्योधनकी सेनामें पहुँचकर समरभूमिमें देवताओंकी सेना भी शिथिल हो सकती है। जिष्णो! इस विषयमें कोई दूसरा विचार नहीं करना चाहिये
sīdet samare jiṣṇo nātra kāryā vicāraṇā | bhārata! duryodhanakī senāmeṁ pahuṁcakara samarabhūmimēṁ devatāoṁkī senā bhī śithila ho sakatī hai | jiṣṇo! as viṣayameṁ koī dūsarā vicāra nahīṁ karanā cāhiye ||
Sañjaya said: “O Bhārata, once one enters the battle-ground and comes up against Duryodhana’s host, even the army of the gods could grow slack. O Jiṣṇu, there is no need for further deliberation on this matter.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the crushing psychological weight of war: even the strongest can falter when confronted with overwhelming opposition. It frames battlefield courage as a real ethical and practical challenge, not merely a matter of divine pedigree or reputation.
Sañjaya, reporting the war to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, emphasizes the formidable nature of Duryodhana’s forces. By invoking even the gods’ army potentially weakening, he heightens the sense of peril and inevitability, urging that no further ‘second thoughts’ are needed about the severity of the situation.