Shloka 51
Droṇa Encircled at Night: Coalition Advance and Battlefield Omens (द्रोणपर्यावरणं रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
अद्य तद्विपरीतं ते वदतो<स्मासु दृश्यते । यदि त्वं शत्रुमात्मानं मन्यसे तत्तथास्त्विह
adya tadviparītaṃ te vadato 'smāsu dṛśyate | yadi tvaṃ śatrum ātmānaṃ manyase tattathāstv iha ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Hari ini, apa yang engkau ucapkan tampak bagi kami sebagai kebalikan dari apa yang dahulu engkau tegakkan. Jika kini engkau memandang dirimu sendiri sebagai musuh, maka biarlah demikian di sini.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights ethical inconsistency and inner conflict: when one’s words reverse earlier principles, it signals a breakdown of self-governance. Calling one’s own self an enemy points to self-sabotage—fear, anger, or despair turning inward—especially in the moral pressure of war.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, remarks that the addressee’s present speech contradicts their earlier position. He responds sharply: if the person truly considers their own self an enemy, then that self-defeating stance will stand—underscoring the tension and moral disarray in the unfolding battle context.