Mahabharata 3.20.26 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 20, Shloka 26
Śālva–Pradyumna Yuddha: Sārathya-kauśala, Astra-pratikāra, Daiva-niyati
Chapter 20
न तत्र विषयस्त्वासीन्मम सैन्यस्य भारत । खे विषक्त हि तत् सौभ॑ क्रोशमात्र इवाभवत्
na tatra viṣayas tv āsīn mama sainyasya bhārata | khe viṣaktaṃ hi tat saubha krośamātra ivābhavat, bhārata ||
Vāsudeva said: “O Bhārata, my army could find no clear range or target there. For that Saubha, clinging to the sky, seemed as though it were only a krośa away—yet it would not come within proper sight or reach.”
वासुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a key ethical-strategic point in warfare: force alone is ineffective without clear perception and a legitimate, reachable target. It also underscores how deception or concealment can disrupt even a powerful army, implying the need for discernment and steadiness rather than impulsive violence.
Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) explains that Śālva’s Saubha, suspended in the sky, could not be properly seen or engaged by his troops. Though it seemed to be only a krośa away, it stayed outside effective visibility and range, frustrating the army’s attempts to respond.
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