Shloka 7
Dvaipāyana-hrade Duryodhanasya Māyā — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharmoktiḥ (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 30)
यत्नतो<न्वेषमाणास्ते नैवापश्यज्जनाधिपम् । विजयके अभिलाषी पाण्डव अत्यन्त कुपित होकर आपके पुत्रका पता लगाने लगे; परंतु यत्नपूर्वक खोज करनेपर भी उन्हें राजा दुर्योधन कहीं दिखायी नहीं दिया ।। स हि तीव्रेण वेगेन गदापाणिरपाक्रमत्
sañjaya uvāca | yatnato 'nveṣamāṇās te naivāpaśyaj janādhipam | vijayake abhilāṣī pāṇḍavā atyanta kupitāḥ bhavataḥ putrasya pataṃ lāgane lage; parantu yatnapūrvaka khoja karane para bhī te rājā duryodhanaṃ kvacid api na dadṛśuḥ || sa hi tīvreṇa vegena gadāpāṇir apākrāmat ||
അവർ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ അന്വേഷിച്ചിട്ടും ജനാധിപനായ രാജാവിനെ കണ്ടില്ല; കാരണം ഗദ കൈയിൽ പിടിച്ച് അദ്ദേഹം അതിവേഗത്തിൽ പിന്മാറിയിരുന്നു।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how anger and the thirst for victory drive action in war, yet outcomes depend on circumstance and strategy: even intense effort may fail when the opponent has already withdrawn swiftly. It implicitly cautions that passion (krodha) can propel pursuit, but does not guarantee success.
After the battle developments in Shalya Parva, the Pandavas, furious and intent on finishing the conflict, search for Duryodhana. Despite diligent searching they cannot find him, because Duryodhana has quickly retreated, mace in hand.