Shloka 283
ध्वजवर्णनम् | Dhvaja-varṇanam
Description of War Standards
अर्जुनार्थे हनिष्पामि सकर्णान् ससुयोधनान् । “मैं अर्जुनके लिये हाथी, घोड़े, कर्ण और दुर्योधनसहित उन समस्त शत्रुओंको जीतकर सहसा उनका संहार कर डालूँगा
arjunārthe haniṣyāmi sa-karṇān sa-suyodhanān |
Sañjaya dit : «Pour Arjuna, je frapperai promptement et j’anéantirai tous ces ennemis—avec Karṇa et Suyodhana.» Le vers formule un vœu de violence tranchante, présenté comme fidélité à Arjuna, et montre comment la dévotion personnelle et le devoir guerrier peuvent durcir la résolution d’exterminer l’adversaire.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds how allegiance to a righteous cause or beloved ally (here, Arjuna) can harden into an uncompromising vow of destruction. Ethically, it illustrates the Mahābhārata’s tension between dharma as duty in war and the moral cost of totalizing enmity.
Sañjaya reports a warrior’s fierce resolve: acting ‘for Arjuna’s sake,’ he declares he will swiftly slay the opposing forces, explicitly naming Karṇa and Suyodhana (Duryodhana) among those to be destroyed—signaling an escalation toward decisive confrontation.