Shloka 10
Saṃśaptakas in Candrārdha-vyūha; Arjuna’s Devadatta and the Traigarta Rout
Chapter 17
यदि तिष्ठति संग्रामे मुहूर्तमपि पाण्डव: । अथापयाति संग्रामाद् विजयात् तद् विशिष्यते,“महाराज! यदि अर्जुनके बिना दो घड़ी भी युद्धभूमिमें खड़े रहे तो मैं तुम्हारे लिये धर्मपुत्र पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिरको आज उनके गणोंसहित अवश्य पकड़ लाऊँगा; इसमें संदेह नहीं है और यदि वे संग्रामसे भाग जाते हैं तो यह हमारी विजयसे भी बढ़कर है!
yadi tiṣṭhati saṅgrāme muhūrtam api pāṇḍavaḥ | atha apayāti saṅgrāmād vijayāt tad viśiṣyate ||
Jika sang Pāṇḍava berdiri teguh di medan perang walau hanya satu muhūrta, maka (aku akan bertindak sebagaimana mestinya); tetapi bila ia menarik diri dari gelanggang, itu—bahkan melebihi kemenangan kita—akan menjadi hasil yang lebih besar.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness (tiṣṭhati) as a crucial measure of resolve in dharmic warfare: holding one’s ground even briefly can determine outcomes, while retreat is portrayed as a moral-strategic failure whose significance can exceed ordinary notions of victory.
Sañjaya reports a conditional assessment about a Pāṇḍava’s conduct in battle: if he remains on the field even for a short time, the situation is one kind; if he withdraws, that retreat is treated as an outcome more consequential than the opposing side’s victory.