Shloka 24
Kṛpa’s Archery Display; Śikhaṇḍin Checked; Suketu Slain; Dhṛṣṭadyumna–Kṛtavarmā Clash (कृपशौर्य–पार्षतहार्दिक्ययुद्धम्)
सर्वाम्भसां निर्धि भीम॑ मूर्तिमन्तं झषायुतम् । चन्द्रोदये विवर्धन्तमप्लव: संस्तितीर्षसि,“अरे! तुम चन्द्रोदयके समय बढ़ते हुए, जलजन्तुओंसे पूर्ण तथा उत्ताल तरंगोंसे व्याप्त अगाध जलराशिवाले भयंकर समुद्रको बिना किसी नावके ही केवल दोनों हाथोंके सहारे पार करना चाहते हो
sarvāmbhasāṁ nidhir bhīmaṁ mūrtimantaṁ jhaṣāyutam | candrodaye vivardhantam aplavaḥ saṁstitīrṣasi ||
Sanjaya said: “You are trying, without any boat, to cross with your bare hands that dreadful ocean—the very repository of all waters—teeming with fish and other aquatic creatures, and swelling at moonrise. This is a reckless resolve, driven by overconfidence, that ignores prudent means and the limits of human strength.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns against rash, means-less ambition: attempting a vast, dangerous task without proper support (a ‘boat’) is folly. Ethical discernment includes recognizing limits, choosing appropriate means, and not mistaking bravado for true capability.
Sanjaya uses a vivid simile: crossing a terrifying, swelling ocean at moonrise with no boat. He is characterizing someone’s intention as nearly impossible and dangerously overconfident, emphasizing the peril and imprudence of the attempt.