Shloka 66
पाण्डवान् हन्तुमिच्छामि त्वया$5ज्ञप्त: सहानुगान् । “दुर्योधन! यदि तुम्हारी आज्ञा हो तो मैं तुम्हारे विख्यात शत्रु रणदुर्मद पाण्डवोंका उनके सेवकोंसहित वध करना चाहता हूँ
pāṇḍavān hantum icchāmi tvayājñaptaḥ sahānugān |
Sañjaya said: “Commanded by you, I wish to slay the Pāṇḍavas—those famed, battle-maddened foes—together with their followers.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line highlights the ethical tension of wartime obedience: the speaker frames intended violence as legitimate because it is performed under another’s command. In the Mahābhārata’s moral universe, such appeals to ‘I was ordered’ raise questions about personal responsibility (svadharma) versus submission to authority.
Sañjaya reports a warrior’s intent to kill the Pāṇḍavas along with their supporters, presenting the plan as contingent on the superior’s authorization. The statement underscores the escalation of hostilities and the targeting not only of principal opponents but also their allied retinues.