Shloka 48
Nakula–Śakuni Duel and the Night Battle; Śikhaṇḍin–Kṛpa Engagement (नकुल-शकुनियुद्धं तथा रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
क्षीणायुधे सात्वते युध्यमाने ततोअब्रवीदर्जुनं वासुदेव: । पश्यस्वैनं विरथं युध्यमानं रणे वरं सर्वधनुर्धराणाम्
kṣīṇāyudhe sātvate yudhyamāne tato 'bravīd arjunaṃ vāsudevaḥ | paśyainam virathaṃ yudhyamānaṃ raṇe varaṃ sarvadhanuṣdharāṇām ||
Sañjaya dit : Lorsque le héros sātvata combattait, ses armes épuisées, Vāsudeva s’adressa alors à Arjuna : «Regarde-le : il se bat bien qu’il soit sans char ; il est le premier au combat parmi tous les archers.» Ce moment souligne une vaillance inébranlable et le poids moral qu’il y a à reconnaître le courage, même chez l’ennemi, au milieu des exigences implacables de la guerre.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid righteous warfare, one should recognize and acknowledge extraordinary courage and skill; ethical perception includes seeing merit clearly, not only hostility.
Sañjaya reports that as the Sātvata hero fights with depleted means, Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) draws Arjuna’s attention to a chariotless warrior still battling fiercely, calling him the foremost among archers.