Shloka 35
Dvaipāyana-hrade Duryodhanasya Māyā — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharmoktiḥ (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 30)
पाण्डवापि महाराज लब्धलक्ष्या: प्रहारिण: । अपश्यमाना: समरे दुर्योधनमवस्थितम्,महाराज! प्रहार करनेमें कुशल पाण्डवोंने अपना लक्ष्य सिद्ध कर लिया था; उन्होंने दुर्योधनको समरांगण-में खड़ा न देख उस पापीके किये हुए छल-कपटका बदला चुकाकर वैरके पार जानेकी इच्छासे उस संग्रामभूमिमें चारों ओर गुप्तचर भेज रखे थे
sañjaya uvāca |
pāṇḍavā api mahārāja labdhalakṣyāḥ prahāriṇaḥ |
apaśyamānāḥ samare duryodhanam avasthitam ||
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മഹാരാജാ! പ്രഹരത്തിൽ നിപുണരായ പാണ്ഡവർ ലക്ഷ്യം കൈവരിച്ചു; എന്നാൽ യുദ്ധത്തിൽ ദുര്യോധനനെ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നതായി കാണാതെ അവർ അവനെ തേടിത്തുടങ്ങി.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between righteous duty in war (kṣatriya-dharma) and the human drive for vengeance: success in battle is not only tactical, but also morally charged when the enemy is associated with deceit. The narrative frames the Pāṇḍavas’ pursuit as a settling of moral accounts within the accepted arena of combat.
Sañjaya reports to the king that the Pāṇḍavas, having achieved their immediate objective and being skilled fighters, do not see Duryodhana on the battlefield. Not finding him stationed there, they begin seeking him out, intent on bringing the conflict with him to a decisive conclusion.