Shloka 83
उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents
पड्चाशदपि ये शूरा मृद्गन्ति महतीं चमूम् । अपि वा पज्च षट् सप्त विजयन्त्यनिवर्तिन:,युद्ध महान् दोषका भण्डार है। उन दोषोंमें सबसे प्रधान है जनसंहार। यदि एक दूसरेको जाननेवाले, हर्ष और उत्साहमें भरे रहनेवाले, कहीं भी आसक्त न होकर विजय- प्राप्तिका दृढ़ निश्चय रखनेवाले तथा शौर्यसम्पन्न पचास सैनिक भी हों तो वे बड़ी भारी सेनाको धूलमें मिला देते हैं। यदि पीछे पैर न हटानेवाले पाँच, छ: और सात ही योद्धा हों तो वे भी निश्चितरूपसे विजयी होते हैं
pañcāśad api ye śūrā mṛdnanti mahatīṃ camūm | api vā pañca ṣaṭ sapta vijayanti anivartinaḥ ||
Vyāsa said: Even fifty heroic warriors can crush a vast army. Indeed, even five, six, or seven fighters—if they do not turn back—can surely win. The verse underscores an ethical reflection on war: victory is not merely a matter of numbers, but of resolve, discipline, and steadfast courage, even as the wider narrative remains shadowed by the grave fault of warfare—mass slaughter.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Numerical strength is secondary to steadfast resolve: a small group of unwavering, courageous fighters can overcome a much larger force. In the broader ethical frame, this observation sits alongside the recognition that war’s greatest fault is the destruction of life.
Vyāsa is describing a principle of battlefield dynamics during the war-context of Bhīṣma Parva: disciplined, unretreating warriors can secure victory even when greatly outnumbered.