Shloka 4
अध्याय ५५ — भीष्मस्य प्रचण्डविक्रमः, अर्जुनप्रत्युत्तरं, कृष्णस्य चक्रोद्यतिः
Chapter 55: Bhīṣma’s onslaught, Arjuna’s counter, and Kṛṣṇa’s raised discus
प्राहेदें वचनं काले हर्षयंस्तनयस्तव । नानाशस्त्रप्रहरणा: सर्वे युद्धविशारदा:
sañjaya uvāca | prāhedaṁ vacanaṁ kāle harṣayaṁs tanayas tava | nānāśastra-praharaṇāḥ sarve yuddhaviśāradāḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Pada saat itu, putera tuanku mengucapkan kata-kata yang tepat pada waktunya, menggembirakan dan menyemarakkan para pengikutnya: ‘Kamu semua mahir melancarkan serangan dengan pelbagai jenis senjata dan arif dalam tata cara peperangan.’”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a practical ethic of wartime leadership: a commander sustains morale through timely, confidence-building speech, appealing to the proven competence of his fighters. It also reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between skill in war and the larger question of whether the cause is righteous.
Sañjaya reports that Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (Duryodhana) addresses his assembled warriors at a critical moment, encouraging them by praising their expertise with diverse weapons and their mastery of warfare.