Mahabharata 9.3.41 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 3, Shloka 41
अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः
Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana
माननीय नरेश! चेकितान, शिखण्डी और द्रौपदीके पाँचों पुत्र--आपकी विशाल सेनाका संहार करके शंख बजाने लगे ।। ते सर्वे तावकान प्रेक्ष्य द्रवतो वै पराड्मुखान् | अभ्यधावन्त निष्नन्तो वृषाञ्जित्वा वृषा इव
te sarve tāvakān prekṣya dravato vai parāṅmukhān | abhyadhāvanta niṣṇanto vṛṣāñ jitvā vṛṣā iva ||
Dijo Sañjaya: «Oh rey venerado, Cekītāna, Śikhaṇḍī y los cinco hijos de Draupadī—tras aniquilar tu vasto ejército—comenzaron a hacer sonar sus caracolas. Y al ver a tus guerreros huir de espaldas, todos ellos se lanzaron al ataque, derribándolos—como toros poderosos que, tras vencer a toros rivales, arremeten con furia».
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of steadfast courage in battle: turning one’s back and fleeing is portrayed as disgraceful, while resolute advance and protection of one’s side is praised through the image of powerful bulls overcoming rivals.
Sanjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that, seeing the Kaurava soldiers retreating, the opposing fighters surge forward and cut them down, compared to victorious bulls pressing their advantage after defeating other bulls.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Mahabharata in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.