Shloka 100
अजिशीर्षे प्रातःसंध्यायां संग्रामवर्णनम् / Dawn-Transition Battle at Ajiśīrṣa
Chapter 161
शक्तो हासि महाबाहो दिव्येन स्वेन तेजसा । निग्रहे पाण्डुपुत्राणां पज्चालानां च मानद,दूसरोंको मान देनेवाले महाबाहु वीर! तुम अपने दिव्य तेजसे पांचालों और पाण्डवोंका निग्रह करनेमें समर्थ हो
śakto hāsi mahābāho divyena svena tejasā | nigrahe pāṇḍuputrāṇāṃ pāñcālānāṃ ca mānada ||
Duryodhana said: “O mighty-armed hero, you are indeed capable—by your own divine splendor—of subduing the sons of Pāṇḍu and the Pāñcālas, O giver of honor.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how appeals to glory and “divine” prowess can be used rhetorically to justify escalation in war. Ethically, it highlights the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension: martial capability (tejas, vīrya) is not identical with dharma, and persuasion can redirect a warrior’s agency toward destructive ends.
Duryodhana addresses a powerful ally/commander, praising his divine energy and urging him to subdue the Pāṇḍavas and their Pāñcāla allies. The line functions as motivation and pressure—reinforcing expectations of decisive action against key opponents on the battlefield.