Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 8
Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira
Book 9, Chapter 11
लब्धलक्षा: परे राजन् रक्षितास्तु महात्मना | अयोधयंस्तव बल मृत्युं कृत्वा निवर्तनम्
sañjaya uvāca | labdhalakṣāḥ pare rājan rakṣitās tu mahātmanā | ayodhayans tava balaṃ mṛtyuṃ kṛtvā nivartanam rājan |
Sañjaya berkata: Wahai Raja, para kesatria musuh—tepat sasaran dan berada dalam lindungan Arjuna yang berhati luhur—bertarung melawan pasukanmu, menetapkan maut sebagai satu-satunya batas untuk mundur. Pada pertempuran sengit saat matahari terbit, mereka maju terus untuk menambah gentar hati para pengecut, memilih kehormatan perang daripada menarik diri.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness: warriors, confident in skill and supported by a great leader, treat retreat as unthinkable and accept death as the boundary. Ethically, it frames courage and commitment in battle as a chosen duty, contrasting it with the fear of the faint-hearted.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the opposing fighters—protected by Arjuna and skilled in marksmanship—attacked the Kaurava forces at sunrise with intense resolve, fighting as if death were the only permissible end, thereby increasing panic among timid soldiers.
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