Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 42
अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः
Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana
जैसे साँड़ साँड्रोंको परास्त करके उन्हें बहुत दूरतक खदेड़ते रहते हैं, उसी प्रकार उन सब पाण्डववीरोंने आपके समस्त सैनिकोंको युद्धसे विमुख होकर भागते देख बाणोंका प्रहार करते हुए दूरतक उनका पीछा किया ।।
yathā sāṇḍaḥ sāṇḍrān parājitya tān bahu dūratak khādayanti, tathā te sarve pāṇḍava-vīrās tava sarva-sainyān yuddhād vimukhān palāyamānān dṛṣṭvā bāṇa-prahāraṃ kurvanto dūratak anujagmuḥ. senāvaśeṣaṃ taṃ dṛṣṭvā tava putrasya pāṇḍavaḥ avasthitaṃ savyasācī cukrodha balavān nṛpa, nareśvara. pāṇḍu-kumāraḥ savyasācī arjunaḥ tava putrasya senāyāḥ tam eka-bhāgam avaśiṣṭaṃ sammukham upasthitaṃ dṛṣṭvā atyantaṃ kupito ’bhavat.
Como un toro poderoso que, tras derrotar a otros toros, los acosa y los empuja muy lejos, así los héroes Pāṇḍava—al ver a todos tus soldados volver la espalda y huir del combate—los castigaron con flechas y los persiguieron a gran distancia. Luego, oh rey, cuando Arjuna, el hijo de Pāṇḍu célebre como Savyasachi, vio que aún quedaba en pie ante él un contingente del ejército de tu hijo, fue presa de una ira vehemente.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the battlefield ethic that momentum matters: a fleeing force becomes vulnerable to pursuit, while a remaining, defiant contingent demands a decisive response. Arjuna’s anger signals resolve and duty-driven intensity (kṣatriya-dharma) rather than private malice—war compresses moral choice into firmness, protection of one’s side, and the necessity to end resistance.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that the Pandava warriors chased the retreating Kaurava troops, shooting them with arrows over a long distance. Then Arjuna notices that a remnant of Duryodhana’s army is still standing in front of him; seeing this remaining formation, he becomes fiercely enraged and prepares to engage it.