Shloka 75
उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents
अल्पायां वा महत्यां वा सेनायामिति निश्चय: । हर्षो योधगणस्यैको जयलक्षणमुच्यते,सेना छोटी हो या बड़ी, उसमें सम्मिलित होनेवाले सैनिकोंका एकमात्र हर्ष ही निश्चितरूपसे विजयका लक्षण बताया जाता है
alpāyāṃ vā mahatyāṃ vā senāyām iti niścayaḥ | harṣo yodhagaṇasyaiko jayalakṣaṇam ucyate ||
Vyāsa declares a firm conclusion: whether an army is small or vast, the single sure sign of victory is the shared exhilaration and confident spirit of its warriors. In the ethical frame of the Mahābhārata’s war, success is not measured only by numbers but by inner resolve, unity, and morale—qualities that sustain disciplined action and steadfastness in dharma amid conflict.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Victory is not guaranteed by the size of an army; the decisive indicator is the warriors’ collective harṣa—confident morale and unity of spirit—which supports disciplined effort and steadfastness in the face of danger.
In Bhīṣma Parva’s early war-setting reflections, Vyāsa states a general principle about warfare: regardless of whether the force is small or large, the warriors’ shared enthusiasm is described as the defining sign that victory is likely.