Shloka 85
उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents
न बाहुल्येन सेनाया जयो भवति नित्यश: । अध्रुवो हि जयो नाम दैवं चात्र परायणम् । जयवन्तो हि संग्रामे कृतकृत्या भवन्ति हि
na bāhulyena senāyā jayo bhavati nityaśaḥ | adhruvo hi jayo nāma daivaṃ cātra parāyaṇam | jayavanto hi saṃgrāme kṛtakṛtyā bhavanti hi |
Vyāsa bersabda: Kemenangan tidak selalu lahir semata-mata dari banyaknya pasukan. Dalam perang, apa yang disebut ‘kemenangan’ itu tidak pasti; di sini takdir ilahi (daiva) adalah sandaran tertinggi. Mereka yang menang di medan laga sajalah yang dipandang telah menuntaskan tugasnya.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that military strength in numbers is not a sure cause of success; victory is inherently uncertain in war, and divine providence (daiva) plays a decisive role. Therefore, outcomes should be approached with humility and realism rather than arrogance based on force alone.
Vyāsa offers a reflective counsel about the nature of warfare: he cautions that even a large army cannot guarantee victory, emphasizing the unpredictability of battle and the overarching influence of fate; those who win are seen as having achieved their immediate objective.