Shloka 31
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — सात्यकि-अलम्बुसयोर्युद्धवर्णनम्
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue; Account of Sātyaki vs Alambusa
युध्यमानं च मां हित्वा प्रदक्षिणमवर्तत । त्वं हि मे युध्यतो नाद्य जीवन् यास्यसि माधव
yudhyamānaṃ ca māṃ hitvā pradakṣiṇam avartata | tvaṃ hi me yudhyato nādya jīvan yāsyasi mādhava ||
“Saat masih bertempur denganku, ia meninggalkanku lalu berputar ke kanan melakukan pradakṣiṇā. Tetapi engkau, wahai Mādhava—bertarung melawanku hari ini—takkan pergi hidup-hidup.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse juxtaposes ritualized respect (pradakṣiṇā) with the ruthless logic of war: even gestures of honor can coexist with lethal intent. It highlights the kṣatriya code where resolve and vows in battle are treated as binding, and where ethical tension arises between auspicious conduct and violence.
Sañjaya reports that a warrior disengages from fighting him, turns to the right in a pradakṣiṇā-like movement, and then addresses Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa) with a grim declaration: if Mādhava fights him today, Mādhava will not escape alive—an emphatic battlefield threat or vow.