Shloka 18
शल्यस्य सेनापत्याभ्युपगमः | Śalya’s Acceptance of Command
न निवारयितु शक््या: संग्रामात्ते परंतपा:
na nivārayitu śakyāḥ saṅgrāmāt te paraṃtapāḥ |
Sañjaya dit : «Ô fléau des ennemis, ces héros ne peuvent plus désormais être retenus loin du combat. Depuis que Draupadī a subi l’humiliation et la souffrance, elle vit dans le chagrin et, chaque jour, dort sur un autel de terre, le cœur arrêté à notre ruine. Elle a fait ce vœu jusqu’à ce que l’inimitié soit pleinement acquittée.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the moral momentum created by injustice: when grievous wrong is done (Draupadī’s humiliation), it generates vows, resolve, and an irreversible drive toward conflict. It underscores how adharma can harden hearts and make reconciliation difficult once honor and suffering demand redress.
Sañjaya reports that the opposing heroes can no longer be held back from battle. He links this inevitability to Draupadī’s continuing grief and her severe vow—sleeping on an earthen altar—until the enmity is fully avenged, implying that the war’s course is fueled by her unresolved suffering.