Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 8
अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः
Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana
प्रत्युपायाम सायाद्वे निर्जिता: सव्यसाचिना । हतप्रवीरा विध्वस्ता निकृत्ता निशितै: शरै:
pratyupāyāma sāyāhve nirjitāḥ savyasācinā | hatapravīrā vidhvastā nikṛttā niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “At evening we turned back toward the camp, having been defeated by Arjuna, the ambidextrous archer. Our foremost heroes had been slain; we were shattered and cut down, struck by his sharp arrows—brought close to ruin.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the stark moral reality of war: pride and force meet consequences, and even great armies can be reduced to ruin. It also highlights the kṣatriya world where prowess and responsibility are tested, and where defeat demands sober acknowledgment rather than self-deception.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that by evening the Kaurava side, defeated by Arjuna, retreats toward the camp. Their leading warriors have fallen, and the remaining troops are shattered and grievously wounded by Arjuna’s sharp arrows.
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