Shloka 9
Saṃśaptakas in Candrārdha-vyūha; Arjuna’s Devadatta and the Traigarta Rout
Chapter 17
एवं ते5हं महाराज धर्मपुत्रं युधिष्ठिरम् । समानेष्यामि सगणं वशमद्य न संशय:,“महाराज! यदि अर्जुनके बिना दो घड़ी भी युद्धभूमिमें खड़े रहे तो मैं तुम्हारे लिये धर्मपुत्र पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिरको आज उनके गणोंसहित अवश्य पकड़ लाऊँगा; इसमें संदेह नहीं है और यदि वे संग्रामसे भाग जाते हैं तो यह हमारी विजयसे भी बढ़कर है!
evaṁ te 'haṁ mahārāja dharmaputraṁ yudhiṣṭhiram | samāneṣyāmi sagaṇaṁ vaśam adya na saṁśayaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O great king, thus I shall bring Dharmaputra Yudhiṣṭhira—together with his followers—under your control today; of this there is no doubt.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, claims of certainty and control are asserted even against a figure identified with dharma (Yudhiṣṭhira). It invites reflection on the tension between righteous identity and the coercive aims of battle—victory is framed not only as defeating an army but as subjugating the moral center of the opposing side.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra a confident declaration that Yudhiṣṭhira will be brought under Kaurava control that very day, along with his attendants. It functions as a strategic boast and a forecast of imminent action focused on capturing the Pāṇḍava leader.