Shloka 25
जयद्रथवधः — The Slaying of Jayadratha
Sunset Vow and Curse-Condition
के त्वां युधि पराक्रान्तं कालान्तकयमोपमम् | दृष्टवा विक्रमसम्पन्नं विद्रविष्यन्ति संयुगे
ke tvāṃ yudhi parākrāntaṃ kālāntaka-yamopamam | dṛṣṭvā vikrama-sampannaṃ vidraviṣyanti saṃyuge ||
Le Sūta dit : «Qui donc, te voyant sur le champ de bataille—audacieux dans l’assaut, semblable à Yama, l’acheveur du temps—pourvu d’une vaillance irrésistible, ne fuirait pas dans le fracas des armes ?»
सूत उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how overwhelming martial excellence can shatter an opponent’s morale: when a warrior appears as an embodiment of inevitable death, fear spreads and resistance collapses. Ethically, it underscores the psychological dimension of warfare—victory is shaped not only by weapons but by courage and the ability to withstand terror.
Sūta, narrating events, praises a formidable warrior addressed as “you,” describing him as so powerful in battle that merely seeing his valor would cause enemies to flee from the fight.