शल्यपर्व — चतुर्विंशोऽध्यायः | Śalya Parva, Chapter 24: Disruption of Kaurava Formations and the Elephant Encirclement
क्षेममद्य करिष्यामि धर्मराजस्य माधव । हत्वैतद् दुर्बलं सैन्यं धार्तराष्ट्रस्य पश्यत:,“माधव! आज मैं दुर्योधनके देखते-देखते इस दुर्बल सेनाका नाश करके धर्मराजका कल्याण करूँगा”
kṣemam adya kariṣyāmi dharmarājasya mādhava | hatvaitad durbalaṃ sainyaṃ dhārtarāṣṭrasya paśyataḥ ||
ഹേ മാധവാ! ഇന്ന് ധൃതരാഷ്ട്രപുത്രൻ നോക്കി നിൽക്കേ ഈ ദുർബല സൈന്യത്തെ നശിപ്പിച്ച് ധർമ്മരാജന്റെ ക്ഷേമം ഞാൻ ഉറപ്പാക്കും.
संजय उवाच
The verse frames warfare in terms of responsibility toward dharma and rightful kingship: the speaker’s aim is not mere victory but the ‘kṣema’ (welfare/security) of Dharmarāja, presenting action as duty-bound and ethically oriented rather than purely personal.
Sañjaya reports a vow-like declaration addressed to Kṛṣṇa (Mādhava): the speaker intends to annihilate the now weakened Kaurava host, doing so in full view of Duryodhana (the Dhārtarāṣṭra), thereby advancing Yudhiṣṭhira’s cause and security.