Shloka 35
वृद्धौ विराटद्रुपदौ महारथौ पृथक् चमूभ्यामभिवर्तमानौ । यदा द्रष्टारी धार्तराष्ट्रानू ससैन्यां- स्तदा युद्ध धार्तराष्ट्रोडन्वतप्स्यत्,जिस समय वृद्ध महारथी राजा विराट और द्रुपद अपनी पृथक्-पृथक् सेनाओंके साथ आक्रमण करके सैनिकोंसहित धृतराष्ट्रपुत्रोंपर दृष्टि डालेंगे, उस समय दुर्योधनको युद्धका परिणाम सोचकर महान् पश्चात्ताप करना पड़ेगा
sañjaya uvāca |
vr̥ddhau virāṭa-drupadau mahārathau pr̥thak camūbhyām abhivartamānau |
yadā draṣṭārau dhārtarāṣṭrān sa-sainyān tadā yuddhe dhārtarāṣṭro ’nutapsyate ||
Sanjaya said: “When the aged great chariot-warriors, King Virata and Drupada, advancing with their separate armies, cast their gaze upon the sons of Dhritarashtra together with their troops, then in the midst of war the Dhritarashtra prince (Duryodhana) will be seized by remorse—realizing too late the consequences of choosing aggression over dharma.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores moral causality in politics and war: aggressive choices that violate dharma may appear powerful at first, but when righteous allies unite and consequences become unavoidable, the wrongdoer is driven to remorse. It highlights foresight and restraint as ethical necessities for rulers.
Sanjaya foretells to Dhritarashtra that Virata and Drupada—elder, renowned warriors allied with the Pandavas—will advance with their own armies and confront the Kauravas. At that moment, Duryodhana will regret having pushed the conflict toward war.