Shloka 38
Śalya–Yudhiṣṭhira Duel and the Discharge of the Śakti (शल्यवधप्रसङ्गः)
तदा<5<सीत् तुमुल॑ युद्ध पुनरेव जयैषिणाम् । तावकानां परेषां च राजन दुर्मन्त्रिते तव,नरेश्वरर फिर विजयकी अभिलाषा रखनेवाले आपके और शत्रुपक्षके योद्धाओंमें उस समय घोर संग्राम छिड़ गया, जो आपकी कुमन्त्रणाका परिणाम था
tadā sīt tumulaṁ yuddhaṁ punar eva jayaiṣiṇām | tāvakānāṁ pareṣāṁ ca rājan durmantrite tava ||
Sañjaya said: Then, O King, a tumultuous battle flared up once again between your warriors and those of the opposing side, all eager for victory—an outbreak of war that was the bitter consequence of your misguided counsel.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores political and ethical responsibility: a ruler’s flawed counsel and decisions (durmantra) can ignite renewed violence, making war not merely a clash of arms but a consequence of moral and strategic failure at the level of leadership.
Sañjaya reports to the king that the fighting has erupted again with great intensity, as both sides—your troops and the enemy’s—press forward seeking victory; he pointedly frames this renewed carnage as the result of the king’s ill-advised policy.