Shloka 19
अध्याय २६ — युद्ध-निन्दा, काम-दोष, तथा धार्तराष्ट्र-नीति-विश्लेषण
War-aversion, Desire as a Policy Fault, and Analysis of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Governance
महासहाय: प्रतपन् बलस्थ: पुरस्कृतो वासुदेवार्जुना भ्याम् । वरान् हनिष्यन द्विषतो रज्भमध्ये व्यनेष्यथा धार्तराष्ट्रस्य दर्पम्,उस समय आप महान् सहायकोंसे सम्पन्न और बलशाली थे, आप श्रीकृष्ण तथा अर्जुनके आगे-आगे चलकर शत्रुओंपर आक्रमण कर सकते थे। समरांगणमें अपने महान् शत्रुओंका संहार करते हुए आप दुर्योधनके घमंडको चूर-चूर कर सकते थे
sañjaya uvāca |
mahāsahāyaḥ pratapan balasthaḥ puraskṛto vāsudevārjunābhyām |
varān haniṣyan dviṣato raṇamadhye vyaneṣyathā dhārtarāṣṭrasya darpam ||
Sañjaya said: “Endowed with mighty allies and standing firm in strength, with Vāsudeva and Arjuna placed at your fore, you could have advanced to strike the hostile champions. In the heart of battle, while slaying the foremost of your enemies, you would have shattered the pride of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (Duryodhana).”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Strength and alliances are ethically meaningful only when directed toward rightful action: arrogance (darpa) is portrayed as a moral fault that invites correction, and true valor is linked to disciplined duty rather than mere aggression.
Sañjaya describes a counterfactual martial scenario: with Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna at the forefront, the addressed warrior could have attacked the enemy champions in mid-battle and thereby crushed Duryodhana’s overweening pride.