Shloka 44
दमयन्त्याः व्याकुलता — स्वयंवरसंनिपातः — देवदूतयाचनम्
Damayantī’s Distress, Proclamation of the Svayaṃvara, and the Gods’ Request
एतान् सर्वान् लोकवीरानजेयान् महात्मन: सानुबन्धान् ससैन्यान् । को जीवितार्थी समरे< भ्युदीयात् क्रुद्धान सिंहानू केसरिणो यथैव,बलराम, श्रीकृष्ण, अर्जुन, प्रद्युम्न, साम्ब, सात्यकि, भीमसेन, नकुल, सहदेव, केकयराजकुमार, द्रपद और उनके पुत्र तथा मत्स्यनरेश विराट--ये सब-के-सब विश्वविख्यात अजेय वीर हैं। ये महामना जब अपने सगे-सम्बन्धियों और सेनाके साथ धावा करेंगे, उस समय क्रोधमें भरे हुए केसरी सिंहोंके समान उन महावीरोंका समरमें जीवनकी इच्छा रखनेवाला कौन पुरुष सामना करेगा?
etān sarvān lokavīrān ajeyān mahātmanaḥ sānubandhān sasainyān | ko jīvitārthī samare 'bhyudīyāt kruddhān siṃhānū keśariṇo yathaiva ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “All these world-renowned heroes are unconquerable—great-souled men, advancing together with their kinsmen and their armies. When they charge into battle, who, still wishing to live, would rise to face them—like one confronting enraged, maned lions?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores prudent discernment in warfare: when righteous and formidable allies unite with their forces, confronting them becomes tantamount to courting death. It highlights the ethical realism of kṣatriya-dharma—courage is honored, but reckless engagement against overwhelming strength is folly.
Yudhiṣṭhira assesses the combined might of celebrated warriors (including Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, Arjuna, and allied kings) and argues that no one who values life would dare oppose them in battle, comparing their onslaught to enraged maned lions.