Shloka 163
अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः
Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana
जघने युद्धयमान मां तूर्णमश्चान् प्रचोदय । “जब मैं सेनाके पिछले भागमें खड़ा हो हाथमें धनुष ले युद्ध करूँगा, उस समय कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुन मुझे लाँधकर आगे नहीं बढ़ सकेंगे; अतः तुम घोड़ोंको आगे बढ़ाओ
jaghane yuddhayamānaṁ māṁ tūrṇam aśvān pracodaya |
Sañjaya said: “Drive the horses swiftly. When I stand in the rear of the army, bow in hand, fighting, Arjuna—the son of Kuntī—will not be able to overleap me and press forward; therefore urge the horses ahead.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, confidence and tactical positioning are used to restrain an opponent’s advance; it also implicitly warns that prideful assurances about stopping a superior warrior (like Arjuna) are ethically and practically precarious.
A speaker (reported by Sañjaya) orders the charioteer to drive the horses forward, claiming that by fighting from the rear with bow in hand he can block Arjuna from breaking through and advancing.