Shloka 11
Udyoga Parva Adhyāya 132 — Vidura’s Counsel on Udyama, Yaśas, and Kṣātra-Dharma
अप्यरे: श्येनवच्छिद्रं पश्येस्त्वं विपरिक्रमन् । विनदन् वाथवा तृष्णीं व्योम्नि वापरिशड्कितः
apy areḥ śyenavac chidraṃ paśyes tvaṃ viparikraman | vinadan vāthavā tṛṣṇīṃ vyomni vāpariśaṅkitaḥ ||
Move about on the battlefield without fear, like a hawk flying unhesitatingly in the open sky. Whether you roar aloud or remain silent, keep watching for the enemy’s vulnerable opening—his ‘gap’—and act with alert, disciplined courage.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Maintain fearless composure and strategic awareness in conflict: whether expressing force (a battle-cry) or keeping silence, one should stay alert to the opponent’s vulnerabilities and act with disciplined courage.
Vāyudeva addresses a warrior (implicitly Bhīma, his son in the epic tradition), urging him to range confidently in battle like a hawk in the sky, and to watch for the enemy’s openings—choosing either loud intimidation or silent focus as the situation demands.