Shloka 5
ते चापि कौरवीं सेनां निमेषार्धात् कुरूद्वह । क्षपयेयुर्महाबाहो न स्याम यदि संयुगे,“महाबाहु कुरुश्रेष्ठ) यदि युद्धस्थलमें हमलोग न रहें, तो पाण्डव भी आधे निमेषयमें ही कौरव-सेनाका संहार कर सकते हैं
te cāpi kauravīṁ senāṁ nimeṣārdhāt kurūdvaha | kṣapayeyur mahābāho na syāma yadi saṁyuge ||
Sañjaya said: “O best of the Kurus, O mighty-armed one—if we were not present in the battle, then the Pāṇḍavas too could destroy the Kaurava army in but half a blink.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the decisive impact of capable warriors and leadership in war: without certain defenders present, even a vast army can collapse almost instantly. Ethically, it hints at the fragility of adharma-based power—numerical strength alone cannot secure victory when opposed by superior valor and resolve.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, emphasizing how formidable the Pāṇḍavas are. He states that if ‘we’ (the key Kaurava fighters/defenders) were not on the battlefield, the Pāṇḍavas could annihilate the Kaurava host in an instant, highlighting the crisis and intensity of the ongoing combat.