Shloka 45
Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ
Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit
दैत्यानां तद् वच: श्रुत्वा हृदि कृत्वा स्थिरां मतिम् ततो मनुजशार्दूलो योजयामास वाहिनीम्
daitayānāṁ tad vacaḥ śrutvā hṛdi kṛtvā sthirāṁ matim | tato manujaśārdūlo yojayāmāsa vāhinīm ||
Vaiśampāyana dit : Ayant entendu les paroles des Daitya et les ayant scellées dans son cœur en une résolution inébranlable, ce tigre parmi les hommes se mit à organiser son armée. Se rappelant ce qui avait été dit auparavant, Duryodhana prit la décision arrêtée de faire la guerre aux Pāṇḍava et ordonna que l’on tînt prête sa troupe aux quatre armes—chars, éléphants, chevaux et fantassins—pour la marche vers Hastināpura. Ô roi, cette immense force se mit en mouvement telle le courant du Gaṅgā : irrésistible, enflée par le dessein.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how advice, once accepted inwardly as a ‘firm resolve’ (sthirā mati), becomes decisive action. Ethically, it warns that determination is morally neutral: it can serve dharma when guided by right counsel, but it can also accelerate adharma when rooted in hostility—here, the resolve culminates in organizing war.
After hearing the Daityas’ words, Duryodhana fixes his decision to fight the Pāṇḍavas and orders his fourfold army to be readied for the journey toward Hastināpura. The host begins to move in a powerful, continuous surge likened to the current of the Gaṅgā.