Shloka 53
Adhyāya 18 — Sequential Duels and Formation Pressure
Ulūka–Yuyutsu; Śakuni–Sutasoma; Kṛpa–Dhṛṣṭadyumna; Kṛtavarmā–Śikhaṇḍin
दिवि वा देवराजस्य त्वया यत् कृतमाहवे । “अर्जुन! महासमरमें ऐसा पराक्रम, जो तूने किया है, या तो तुम्हारे ही योग्य है या स्वर्गमें देवराज इन्द्रके योग्य” || ५२ $ ।।
divi vā devarājasya tvayā yat kṛtam āhave | “arjuna! mahāsamareṃ evaṃ parākramaḥ, yo tvayā kṛtaḥ, sa vā tvadīya-yogyaḥ, vā svargam indrasya devarājasya yogyaḥ” || 52 || evaṃ tāṃ darśayan kṛṣṇo yuddhabhūmiṃ kirīṭine || 53 ||
Sañjaya said: “O Arjuna, the prowess you displayed in this great battle is fit only for you—or for Indra, the king of the gods, in heaven.” Saying this, Krishna continued to show the battlefield to the diadem-wearing Arjuna, directing his attention to the scene of war and its consequences.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that extraordinary martial power must be understood within dharma: Arjuna’s prowess is praised as almost divine, yet Krishna’s act of showing the battlefield suggests that valor is not mere triumph but disciplined action undertaken with awareness of its grave human cost and the ethical burden of a kshatriya’s duty.
Sanjaya reports that Arjuna’s feats in the great battle are being lauded as equal to those of Indra. Immediately after, Krishna is described as showing or pointing out the battlefield to Arjuna—guiding his perception amid the chaos of war, likely to orient him toward the next tactical and moral necessity.