Shloka 16
यदि युद्धेन जेया: स्युरिमे कौरवनन्दना: । वयमप्यत्र युध्येम तथा चेमे नरर्षभा:
yadi yuddhena jeyāḥ syur ime kauravanandanāḥ | vayam apy atra yudhyema tathā ceme nararṣabhāḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : «“Si ces fils de la lignée des Kuru pouvaient l’emporter par le seul combat, alors nous aussi devrions nous battre ici, avec ces hommes, taureaux parmi les hommes (nos plus grands guerriers).”»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a martial ethic: if victory is to be achieved through combat, then one must commit to the struggle with full resolve, relying on one’s best warriors. It also implicitly questions whether victory truly depends only on fighting, pointing to the tension between human effort and larger destiny.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, conveys the Kaurava-side determination: if the Kauravas can win by battle, then they and their leading fighters should engage decisively on the field.