Shloka 10
शल्यपर्व — चतुर्विंशोऽध्यायः | Śalya Parva, Chapter 24: Disruption of Kaurava Formations and the Elephant Encirclement
जहि राजन् रथानीकममश्चा: सर्वे जिता मया | नात्यक्त्वा जीवितं संख्ये शक्यो जेतुं युधिषछ्ठिर:,“राजन! शत्रुकी रथसेनाका नाश कीजिये। समस्त घुड़सवारोंको मैंने जीत लिया है। राजा युधिष्छिर अपने प्राणोंका परित्याग किये बिना जीते नहीं जा सकते
jahi rājan rathānīkam aśvās ca sarve jitā mayā | nātyaktvā jīvitaṃ saṅkhye śakyo jetuṃ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
«Ô roi, frappe et anéantis la division des chars ennemis. Quant aux cavaliers, je les ai déjà tous soumis. Yudhiṣṭhira ne peut être vaincu au combat, à moins d’être prêt à risquer—et même à sacrifier—sa propre vie.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the extraordinary difficulty of defeating a righteous and steadfast leader like Yudhiṣṭhira: victory against such a figure demands total commitment and readiness for the highest personal cost, highlighting the moral and psychological dimension of warfare beyond mere tactics.
Sañjaya reports battlefield developments to the king, urging decisive action against the enemy chariot formation. He claims he has already checked the cavalry and warns that Yudhiṣṭhira is not easily defeated—only someone willing to risk life itself can hope to overcome him.