Shloka 64
Nakula–Śakuni Duel and the Night Battle; Śikhaṇḍin–Kṛpa Engagement (नकुल-शकुनियुद्धं तथा रात्रियुद्धवर्णनम्)
पश्य वृष्ण्यन्धकव्याप्र॑ं सौमदत्तिवशं गतम् | तव शिष्यं महाबाहो धनुष्यनवरं त्वया,“महाबाहो! देखो, वृष्णि और अन्धकवंशका वह सिंह भूरिश्रवाके वशमें पड़ गया है। यह तुम्हारा शिष्य है और धर्नुर्विद्यामें तुमसे कम नहीं है
sañjaya uvāca |
paśya vṛṣṇyandhakavyāghraṃ saumadattivaśaṃ gatam |
tava śiṣyaṃ mahābāho dhanuṣy anavaraṃ tvayā ||
Sañjaya said: “Behold—the tiger among the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas has fallen under the power of Saumadatti (Bhūriśravas). O mighty-armed one, this is your disciple, a master of the bow who is not inferior to you.” In the moral tension of the war, Sañjaya’s words both report a battlefield reversal and implicitly press the question of responsibility: how a teacher’s training and a warrior’s prowess are being turned toward ruthless advantage in a fratricidal conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how excellence in skill and the prestige of discipleship do not by themselves guarantee righteous outcomes; in war, the same training can become an instrument of domination. It implicitly raises ethical scrutiny over how power is used and how responsibility extends through bonds like teacher and student.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a leading warrior of the Vṛṣṇi–Andhaka side has come under the control of Saumadatti (Bhūriśravas). He emphasizes the opponent’s stature (“tiger among the clans”) and notes that this fighter is Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s disciple and an archer comparable to him, underscoring the seriousness of the moment.