Shloka 17
जयद्रथवधः — The Slaying of Jayadratha
Sunset Vow and Curse-Condition
एतान् सरथनागाश्चान् निहत्याजौ सपत्तिन: । इदं दुर्ग महाघोरं तीर्णमेवोपधारय,“इन सबको युद्धस्थलमें रथ, हाथी, घोड़े और पैदलोंसहित मार लेनेपर निश्चितरूपसे समझ लो कि हमलोग इस अत्यन्त भयंकर दुर्गम संकटसे पार हो गये”
etān sarathanāgāś cān nihatyaājau sapattinaḥ | idaṃ durgaṃ mahāghoraṃ tīrṇam evopadhāraya ||
Sañjaya dit : «Quand ces ennemis—avec leurs chars, leurs éléphants, leurs chevaux et leur infanterie—auront été abattus sur le champ de bataille, sachez avec certitude que cette épreuve, si terrible et si difficile à franchir, aura bel et bien été traversée.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames victory not merely as killing, but as ‘crossing’ a terrifying, difficult crisis: once the enemy’s fighting strength is decisively neutralized, one should recognize the danger as effectively overcome—highlighting clarity of assessment amid war.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that if the opposing forces—along with their full military arms (chariots, elephants, etc.)—are destroyed in battle, then the Kaurava side should regard the present dreadful predicament as already crossed.