Shloka 77
युधिष्ठिरस्य धनंजय-प्रति गर्हा
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Reproach to Dhanaṃjaya
तद् दृष्टवा महदाश्षर्य प्रत्यक्ष स्वर्गलिप्सया
tad dṛṣṭvā mahad āścaryaṃ pratyakṣaṃ svargalipsayā
Sañjaya said: Seeing that great and astonishing marvel—something as if heaven itself were manifest before the eyes—driven by a longing to attain heaven, the warriors pressed on.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how the desire for heavenly reward can powerfully motivate action in war: when glory and the promise of svarga appear ‘visible,’ warriors may pursue perilous deeds, raising ethical tension between true dharma and reward-seeking.
Sañjaya reports that a striking, awe-inspiring spectacle has occurred on the battlefield—so vivid it seems like heaven before the eyes—and that this sight, coupled with the yearning for svarga, spurs the combatants’ resolve.