अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः
Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana
यदेनं पाण्डवा: सर्वे न शेकुरतिवर्तितुम् । दुर्योधन भी बिना किसी घबराहटके अपने बाणोंद्वारा उन शत्रुओंको छिन्न-भिन्न करने लगा। वहाँ हमलोगोंने आपके पुत्रका अद्भुत पराक्रम देखा कि समस्त पाण्डव मिलकर भी उसे लाँधकर आगे न बढ़ सके
yad enaṃ pāṇḍavāḥ sarve na śekur ativartitum | duryodhanaḥ bhayā vinā nirghṛṣṭaḥ svaiḥ śaraiḥ tān śatrūn chinna-bhinnaṃ cakāra | tatra vayaṃ te putrasya adbhutaṃ parākramaṃ dadṛśima—yat samastāḥ pāṇḍavā api taṃ laṅghayitvā agre na śekuḥ gantum ||
サンジャヤは言った。パーンダヴァ(Pāṇḍava)たちが総力を合わせても、彼を越えることはできなかった。ドゥルヨーダナ(Duryodhana)は微塵の恐れもなく、己の矢で敵を切り裂き、粉々にし始めた。そこで我らは、そなたの子の驚くべき武威を見た。パーンダヴァ全軍が一つに結束しても、彼を踏み越えて前進することは叶わなかった。
संजय उवाच
The passage highlights how martial prowess and fearlessness can momentarily dominate the battlefield, yet it also subtly frames such power as an object of observation rather than moral endorsement—reminding the listener (Dhṛtarāṣṭra) that admiration for one’s side must be weighed against the larger ethical consequences of the war.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana forms an effective barrier: the Pāṇḍavas cannot break past him. Duryodhana, unafraid, strikes down opponents with volleys of arrows, and the Kaurava observers witness his extraordinary battlefield performance.