Shloka 20
Adhyāya 61: Saṃmohana-astra and the Kuru Withdrawal (संमोहनास्त्रं तथा कुरुनिवृत्तिः)
इति मां सड़ता: सर्वे तर्कयिष्यन्ति शत्रव: । शोणितोदां रथावर्ता नागनक्रां दुरत्ययाम् | नदीं प्रस्कन्दयिष्यामि परलोकप्रवाहिनीम्
iti māṁ śaṅkitāḥ sarve tarkayiṣyanti śatravaḥ | śoṇitodāṁ rathāvartāṁ nāganakrāṁ duratyayām | nadīṁ praskandayīṣyāmi paralokapravāhinīm ||
ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ສັດຕູທັງປວງຜູ້ເຕັມໄປດ້ວຍຄວາມສົງໄສ ຈະຄາດຄະເນກ່ຽວກັບຂ້ອຍວ່າ ‘ອາຣຊຸນປ່ອຍລູກສອນດ້ວຍມືໃດ—ຂວາຫຼືຊ້າຍ?’ ມື້ນີ້ ຂ້ອຍຈະໂດດເຂົ້າໄປ ແລະກວນຄືນຜ່ານແມ່ນ້ຳທີ່ຂ້າມຍາກ ອັນໄຫຼໄປສູ່ໂລກຫຼັງ—ແມ່ນ້ຳທີ່ນ້ຳເປັນເລືອດ ວົງນ້ຳເປັນລົດຮົບ ແລະຈະລະເຂ້ເປັນຊ້າງ»។
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames battle through a moral-psychological lens: a kṣatriya hero must act with fearless resolve, accepting that war leads toward death (paraloka) while maintaining clarity and courage. It also shows how reputation and skill can unsettle opponents—ethical strength here is steadfastness in one’s duty amid mortal stakes.
The narrator reports a boastful, martial declaration about Arjuna’s prowess: enemies will be so confounded that they will debate which hand he shoots with. The opposing army is imagined as a deadly ‘river’—blood for water, chariots for whirlpools, elephants for crocodiles—into which Arjuna vows to plunge and overcome.