Shloka 104
Adhyāya 141 — Night duels: Śaineya and Bhūriśravas; Droṇi and Ghaṭotkaca; Bhīma and Duryodhana
योद्धव्यं मारिषान्यत्र न योद्धव्यं च मादृशै: । मादृशैर्युध्यमानानामेतच्चान्यच्च विद्यते,“आर्य! तुझे और लोगोंके साथ युद्ध करना चाहिये। मेरे-जैसे वीरोंके साथ नहीं। मेरे- जैसे योद्धाओंसे जूझनेवालोंकी ऐसी ही अथवा इससे भी बुरी दशा होती है
yoddhavyaṃ māriṣānyatra na yoddhavyaṃ ca mādṛśaiḥ | mādṛśair yudhyamānānām etac cānyac ca vidyate ||
サञ्जयは言った。「高貴なる者よ、ここでは他の者と戦うがよい。私のような戦士とではない。私の類の闘士に挑む者には、これが—いや、これ以上の惨めさが—待っているのだ。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a warrior-ethic warning: choosing one’s opponent matters, because engaging superior or equal fighters brings severe consequences. It reflects the Mahabharata’s recurring tension between valor and prudence—courage is praised, yet reckless confrontation is portrayed as leading to ruin.
Sanjaya, narrating the battlefield events, voices a taunting or cautionary remark addressed to a respected person (“māriṣa”), advising him to fight others rather than contend with warriors ‘like me.’ The line underscores the harsh reality of the Kurukṣetra war: those who challenge formidable fighters meet disastrous outcomes.