शल्यपर्व — चतुर्विंशोऽध्यायः | Śalya Parva, Chapter 24: Disruption of Kaurava Formations and the Elephant Encirclement
जहि राजन् रथानीकममश्चा: सर्वे जिता मया | नात्यक्त्वा जीवितं संख्ये शक्यो जेतुं युधिषछ्ठिर:
jahi rājan rathānīkam aśvās ca sarve jitā mayā | nātyaktvā jīvitaṃ saṅkhye śakyo jetuṃ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
「王よ、敵の戦車隊を討ち滅ぼされよ。騎兵はすでに我がすべて制した。ユディシュティラは、命を賭し—さらには捨てる覚悟なくして—戦場で打ち破ることはできぬ。」
संजय उवाच
The verse underscores the extraordinary difficulty of defeating a righteous and steadfast leader like Yudhiṣṭhira: victory against such a figure demands total commitment and readiness for the highest personal cost, highlighting the moral and psychological dimension of warfare beyond mere tactics.
Sañjaya reports battlefield developments to the king, urging decisive action against the enemy chariot formation. He claims he has already checked the cavalry and warns that Yudhiṣṭhira is not easily defeated—only someone willing to risk life itself can hope to overcome him.