Shloka 17
युद्धश्रद्धामहं तेड्द्य विनेष्यामि रणाजिरे । इत्युक्त्वा क्रोधताम्राक्षो राक्षस: परवीरहा
yuddhaśraddhām ahaṃ te 'dya vineṣyāmi raṇājire | ity uktvā krodhatāmrākṣo rākṣasaḥ paravīrahā ||
Sañjaya said: “Today, on the battlefield, I shall destroy your confidence and resolve for war.” Having spoken thus, the rākṣasa—his eyes reddened with anger, a slayer of enemy heroes—advanced with violent intent. The line underscores how wrath seeks not only bodily victory but the breaking of an opponent’s morale, a morally charged tactic amid the chaos of righteous and unrighteous warfare.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger-driven warfare targets not only the body but also the opponent’s inner steadiness—‘yuddhaśraddhā’ (battle-confidence). It implicitly warns that wrath and intimidation can erode ethical restraint, turning combat into a contest of terror rather than disciplined kṣatriya conduct.
Sañjaya reports a rākṣasa warrior boasting that he will shatter the enemy’s fighting resolve on the battlefield. After this threat, he is described as red-eyed with rage and famed for killing enemy heroes, indicating an imminent fierce assault.