Shloka 8
Abhimanyu-śravaṇa-prastāva and Cakravyūha-vinyāsa
Prelude to Abhimanyu’s Account and the Wheel-Formation Deployment
इच्छतस्ते न मुच्येत चक्षु:प्राप्तो रणे रिपु: । जिधघृक्षतो रक्ष्यमाण: सामरैरपि पाण्डवै:,'रणक्षेत्रमें कोई शत्रु आपके नेत्रोंके समक्ष आ जाय और उसे आप पकड़ना चाहें तो सम्पूर्ण देवताओंके साथ रहे सारे पाण्डव उसकी रक्षा क्यों न कर रहे हों, निश्चय ही वह आपसे छूटकर नहीं जा सकता
icchatas te na mucyeta cakṣuḥprāpto raṇe ripuḥ | jidhṛkṣato rakṣyamāṇaḥ sāmarair api pāṇḍavaiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: If, in the midst of battle, an enemy comes within the range of your very eyes and you truly wish to seize him, then even if all the Pāṇḍavas—backed by the gods themselves—were to protect him, he could not possibly slip away from you. The statement underscores the irresistible force of your resolve and prowess when your intention is fixed.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
When determination and capability are fully aligned, opposition—even when supported by powerful allies—cannot easily thwart the intended action; the verse highlights the decisive force of fixed resolve in a warrior context.
Sañjaya is emphasizing to the listener that if a foe comes directly into the warrior’s sight and the warrior intends to capture him, then the foe will not escape, even if the Pāṇḍavas and the gods attempt to protect him—an assertion of overwhelming martial efficacy.