Shloka 82
दुर्लभ जीवितं मन्ये कौरव्यस्य किरीटिना । युध्यमानस्य पार्थेन शार्दूलेनेव हस्तिन:,'जैसे सिंहके साथ हाथी युद्ध करे तो उसका जीवित रहना असम्भव हो जाता है, उसी प्रकार किरीटधारी कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुनके साथ युद्धमें प्रवृत्त होनेपर कुरुवंशी दुर्योधनके जीवनको मैं दुर्लभ ही मानता हूँ
durlabhaṃ jīvitaṃ manye kauravyasya kirīṭinā | yudhyamānasya pārthena śārdūleneva hastinaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “I deem the life of the Kuru prince, Duryodhana, hard to preserve. For when he engages in battle with the diademed Pārtha—Arjuna—his survival is as unlikely as that of an elephant fighting a tiger.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical and practical reality of war: when a combatant confronts a vastly superior warrior, mere pride or obstinacy cannot secure survival. It hints at the consequences of adharma-driven choices—Duryodhana’s peril is framed as the natural outcome of entering combat against Arjuna’s proven prowess.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra his assessment of the battlefield situation: if Duryodhana truly engages Arjuna in direct combat, Duryodhana’s life is in grave danger. He illustrates this with a vivid simile—an elephant’s chances against a tiger.