Mahabharata — Adi Parva, Shloka 13
भीमस्य जलान्वेषणं तथा वनविश्रान्तिः
Bhīma’s Search for Water and the Forest Halt
एषां पराक्रमस्यान्ते वयं कुर्याम साहसम् | एतैरशक्य: पाज्चालो ग्रहीतुं रणमूर्थनि
eṣāṃ parākramasyānte vayaṃ kuryāma sāhasam | etair aśakyaḥ pāñcālo grahītuṃ raṇamūrdhani |
Vaiśampāyana dijo: «Después de que estos hombres hayan mostrado su destreza, entonces intentaremos nuestra propia hazaña audaz. Pues por ellos no puede ser apresado el rey de los Pāñcālas en la misma vanguardia de la batalla».
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a kṣatriya-style ethic of measured daring: bold action (sāhasa) should be attempted with awareness of limits and after assessing others’ prowess; it also underscores that battlefield outcomes are constrained by the opponent’s strength and circumstance.
Vaiśampāyana narrates a moment of martial planning and confidence: after certain warriors demonstrate their valor, the speakers propose to undertake a daring move, yet assert that capturing the Pāñcāla king at the very front of battle is not achievable by those men.