Shloka 15
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 64: Arjuna’s Instruction to Sanjaya
Message to the Kuru Assembly
यच्चैव नगरे तस्मिउ्छूयते महदद्धुतम् । एकस्य च बहूनां च पर्याप्त तन्निदर्शनम्
yac caiva nagare tasmin śrūyate mahad adbhutam | ekasya ca bahūnāṁ ca paryāptaṁ tan nidarśanam ||
Y además, en esa misma ciudad se oye un gran prodigio: el asombroso combate de un solo guerrero contra muchos. Ese único ejemplo basta como prueba—pues muestra el poder y la invencibilidad de aquel héroe (Arjuna), ante quien, en la ciudad de Virāṭa, todo el ejército de tus hermanos huyó despavorido, abandonando las reses que había arrebatado.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vidura urges sober judgment: even one well-attested example can be decisive evidence. The reported feat of one warrior defeating many is presented as sufficient proof of Arjuna’s overwhelming strength, implying that pursuing war against the Pāṇḍavas is ethically and strategically reckless.
Vidura reminds the listener of the famous Virāṭa episode: at Virāṭa’s city, the Kaurava force that went to seize cattle was routed and fled in fear when confronted by a single champion—understood to be Arjuna. He cites this as a widely known marvel and as a warning against underestimating the Pāṇḍavas.