Shloka 40
त्रिपुरदाह-इतिहासः
Tripura-destruction exemplum and counsel to Śalya
सुतसोमस्ततो<गच्छच्छुतकीर्तेर्महारथम् । सौबलो<पि भनुर्गह्य घोरमन्यत् सुदुर्जयम्
Sutasomas tato ’gacchac Chutakīrter mahāratham | Saubalo ’pi Bhānur gṛhya ghoram anyat sudurjayam ||
Sañjaya said: Then Sutasoma advanced against the great chariot-warrior Śutakīrti. Saubala too, taking Bhānu with him, pressed on toward another formidable and hard-to-overcome opponent—showing how, in the chaos of battle, warriors deliberately seek out worthy adversaries and bind themselves to alliances of necessity, even when the encounter promises peril.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ethos of seeking out capable opponents and meeting danger directly; it also shows how alliances and tactical pairings arise in war, where choosing whom to engage becomes a test of courage, judgment, and martial responsibility.
Sañjaya reports battlefield movements: Sutasoma advances to confront the great warrior Śutakīrti, while Saubala, accompanied by Bhānu, moves to engage another fearsome and difficult-to-defeat adversary.