Shloka 35
Dvaipāyana-hrade Duryodhanasya Māyā — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharmoktiḥ (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 30)
पाण्डवापि महाराज लब्धलक्ष्या: प्रहारिण: । अपश्यमाना: समरे दुर्योधनमवस्थितम्
sañjaya uvāca |
pāṇḍavā api mahārāja labdhalakṣyāḥ prahāriṇaḥ |
apaśyamānāḥ samare duryodhanam avasthitam ||
Sañjaya said: O King, the Pāṇḍavas too—skilled in striking and having achieved their aim—when they did not see Duryodhana standing in the battle, began to look for him on the field. Their search is driven not merely by tactics but by the moral pressure of settling the score for deceit and treachery, and by the desire to carry their enmity to its final end through just retribution in war.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between righteous duty in war (kṣatriya-dharma) and the human drive for vengeance: success in battle is not only tactical, but also morally charged when the enemy is associated with deceit. The narrative frames the Pāṇḍavas’ pursuit as a settling of moral accounts within the accepted arena of combat.
Sañjaya reports to the king that the Pāṇḍavas, having achieved their immediate objective and being skilled fighters, do not see Duryodhana on the battlefield. Not finding him stationed there, they begin seeking him out, intent on bringing the conflict with him to a decisive conclusion.