Shloka 17
'सूत! तुम धीरे-धीरे रथ आगे बढ़ाओ। मैं सम्पूर्ण सेनाओंके पीछे जब हाथमें धनुष लेकर खड़ा होऊँगा, उस समय अर्जुन मुझे लाँधकर आगे नहीं बढ़ सकते ।।
yudhyamānaṃ hi kaunteyaṃ haniṣyāmi na saṃśayaḥ | notsaheṇ mām atikrāntuṃ velām iva mahodadhiḥ ||
«¡Sūta! Haz avanzar el carro lentamente. Cuando yo me mantenga en pie tras todos los ejércitos, con el arco en la mano, Arjuna no podrá pasar por encima de mí para seguir adelante. Si el hijo de Kuntī me enfrenta en combate, lo abatiré sin duda alguna. Así como el gran océano no puede sobrepasar su propia orilla, del mismo modo él no podrá rebasarme».
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights unwavering resolve in battle and the idea of a ‘limit’ or boundary that cannot be crossed—expressed through the ocean-and-shore simile. Ethically, it reflects the Kṣatriya world-view of decisive confrontation, where confidence and steadfastness are presented as virtues, even as the narrative invites reflection on pride, fate, and the costs of war.
In Sañjaya’s report from the battlefield, a warrior (in the surrounding context, addressing the charioteer) declares that when he stands with bow in hand behind the armies, Arjuna will not be able to push past him. He asserts that if Arjuna fights him directly, he will surely kill him, comparing Arjuna’s inability to pass him to the ocean’s inability to overstep its shore.