Shloka 67
Nakula–Śakuni Duel and the Night Battle; Śikhaṇḍin–Kṛpa Engagement (नकुल-शकुनियुद्धं तथा रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
भगवान् श्रीकृष्णके ऐसा कहनेपर पाण्डुपुत्र महाबाहु अर्जुनने मन-ही-मन युद्धस्थलमें भूरिश्रवाकी प्रशंसा की ।। विकर्षन् सात्वतश्रेष्ठ क्रीडमान इवाहवे । संहर्षयति मां भूय: कुरूणां कीर्तिवर्धन:,कुरुकुलकी कीर्ति बढ़ानेवाले भूरिश्रवा इस युद्ध-स्थलमें सात्वतकुलके श्रेष्ठ वीर सात्यकिको घसीटते हुए खेल-सा कर रहे हैं और बारंबार मेरा हर्ष बढ़ा रहे हैं
bhagavān śrīkṛṣṇake evaṃ kahane para pāṇḍuputra mahābāhu arjunane mana-hī-mana yuddhasthaleṃ bhūriśravā kī praśaṃsā kī || vikarṣan sātvataśreṣṭhaḥ krīḍamāna ivāhave | saṃharṣayati māṃ bhūyaḥ kurūṇāṃ kīrtivardhanaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: When the Blessed Śrī Kṛṣṇa spoke thus, the mighty-armed Arjuna, son of Pāṇḍu, inwardly praised Bhūriśravā on the battlefield. Dragging the foremost of the Sātvatas, as though playing in the fight, Bhūriśravā—enhancer of the Kurus’ fame—again and again increases my exhilaration. The scene underscores how, amid the moral weight of war, even an opponent’s prowess can be acknowledged, while the narrator’s admiration reveals the intoxicating pull of martial glory.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in a righteous war, the epic acknowledges the complexity of dharma: one may recognize and praise an opponent’s prowess without endorsing the violence itself. The verse also highlights how ‘kīrti’ (martial fame) can exhilarate observers, revealing the seductive power of battlefield glory and the need for ethical discernment.
Sañjaya reports that after Kṛṣṇa’s words, Arjuna silently admires Bhūriśravā. On the battlefield Bhūriśravā is overpowering Sātyaki—dragging him as if it were sport—thereby enhancing Kuru renown and stirring Sañjaya’s excitement as he narrates the combat.