Shloka 23
Śalya Installed as Commander; Coalition Agreement and Battle Arrays (शल्यसेनापत्यारोहणं व्यूहवर्णनं च)
प्रहर्ष प्राप्प सेना तु तावकी भरतर्षभ । तां रात्रिमुषिता सुप्ता हर्षचित्ता च साभवत्,इति सत्य ब्रवीम्येष दुर्योधन न संशय: । “मैं रणभूमिमें कुन्तीके सभी पुत्रों और सामने आये हुए सोमकोंपर भी विजय प्राप्त कर लूँगा। इसमें भी संदेह नहीं कि मैं तुम्हारा सेनापति होऊँगा और ऐसे व्यूहका निर्माण करूँगा, जिसे शत्रु लाँघ नहीं सकेंगे। दुर्योधन! यह मैं तुमसे सच्ची बात कहता हूँ। इसमें कोई संशय नहीं है” भरतश्रेष्ठ] आपकी सेना महान् हर्ष पाकर उस रातमें वहीं रही और सो गयी। उसके मनमें बड़ा उत्साह था
sañjaya uvāca | praharṣaṁ prāpya senā tu tāvakī bharatarṣabha | tāṁ rātrim uṣitā suptā harṣacittā ca sābhavat | iti satyaṁ bravīmy eṣa duryodhana na saṁśayaḥ |
Sanjaya said: O bull among the Bharatas, your army, having attained great exhilaration, remained there for that night and slept; its mind was filled with confidence and joy. Thus—‘I speak the truth, O Duryodhana; there is no doubt’—(this assurance was given), and the host settled in high spirits.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how confidence and persuasive assurances can raise an army’s morale, yet it also implicitly warns that exhilaration and certainty in war are unstable foundations when detached from clear-sighted judgment and dharmic restraint.
Sanjaya reports to Dhritarashtra that the Kaurava forces, encouraged by confident declarations made to Duryodhana, became elated and spent the night on the battlefield, sleeping there with hearts full of enthusiasm.