Shloka 14
अध्याय ८८ — घटोत्कच-दुर्योधनयुद्धवर्णनम्
Ghaṭotkaca–Duryodhana Engagement
मद्राधिपं समभित्यज्य संख्ये स्वभागमाप्तं तमनन्तकीर्ति: । सार्थ स माद्रीसुतभीमसे नै- भीष्म ययौ शान्तनवं रणाय
sañjaya uvāca |
madhrādhipaṃ samabhityajya saṅkhye svabhāgam āptaṃ tam anantakīrtiḥ |
sārthaḥ sa mādrīsuta-bhīmasenaiḥ bhīṣmaṃ yayau śāntanavaṃ raṇāya ||
Sañjaya berkata: Di tengah pertempuran, Yudhiṣṭhira yang termasyhur tanpa batas meninggalkan Śalya, raja Madra yang menjadi lawan bagiannya, lalu bersama putra-putra Mādrī (Nakula dan Sahadeva) serta Bhīmasena, bergerak segera dalam amarah untuk menghadapi Bhīṣma, putra Śāntanu, demi bertempur.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between what is ‘allotted’ (svabhāga) and what becomes the higher immediate duty in a crisis. In war-ethics, a leader may set aside a personally assigned engagement to address the greater threat, provided the action serves the larger responsibility of protecting one’s side and restoring order on the battlefield.
Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira, leaving aside Śalya—who had come to him as his designated opponent—moves quickly and angrily with Nakula, Sahadeva, and Bhīma to engage Bhīṣma (Śāntanu’s son) in direct combat.