Shloka 6
Saṃśaptaka-Varūthinī Saṅgrāma — Binding and Counter-Binding (संशप्तक-वरूथिनी-संग्रामः)
न चेत् तदभिमन्येत पुरुषो<्डर्जुनदर्शिवान्
na cet tad abhimanyeta puruṣo 'rjunadarśivān, śyāmānāṁ niṣkakaṇṭhīnām gītavādyavipaścitām |
Sañjaya said: “If that man who can point out Arjuna does not fully accept or acknowledge that reward, then I shall grant him another chariot made of gold, yoked with six strong, well-fed bulls like elephants; and along with it I shall give him a hundred women, adorned with garments and ornaments—young and dark-complexioned, wearing golden necklaces, and skilled in singing and instrumental music.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in the heat of war, rulers may use lavish rewards to secure strategic advantage—raising an ethical tension between dharma and expedient inducement. It implicitly critiques the commodification of loyalty and the use of wealth and women as instruments for military aims.
Sañjaya reports an offer being proclaimed: if a man capable of identifying or pointing out Arjuna does not accept the initial reward, an even greater incentive will be given—another golden chariot with six powerful bulls, and a hundred richly adorned women skilled in music.