Shloka 18
Kṛṣṇa’s Departure, Auspicious Omens, and the Opening of the Uttaṅka Dialogue (कृष्णप्रयाण-निमित्त-उत्तङ्कसंवाद-प्रारम्भः)
त्वया दग्धं हि तत्सैन्यं मया विजितमाहवे
tvayā dagdhaṃ hi tat sainyaṃ mayā vijitam āhave
Vaiśampāyana said: “Indeed, that army was burned by you; and it was conquered by me in battle.” The line contrasts two modes of victory—destruction by fiery power and triumph through martial conquest—highlighting responsibility for the outcome of war and the moral weight carried by those who wield overwhelming force.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores that outcomes in war can arise from different kinds of agency—destructive power that annihilates and martial prowess that subdues—implying ethical accountability for both the means and the result.
Vaiśampāyana reports a comparison of actions in a conflict: one party is credited with burning the opposing army, while the speaker (or a referenced agent) is credited with defeating it in direct battle.