Shloka 13
Arjuna’s Advance toward Bhīṣma; The Gāṇḍīva’s Signal and the Armies’ Convergence (भीष्माभिमुखगमनम् — गाण्डीवनिर्घोष-ध्वजवर्णनम्)
भ्रातरश्चास्य संनद्धा: कुलपुत्रा मदोत्कटा: । एतानद्य हनिष्यामि पश्यतस्ते न संशय:
bhrātaraścāsya sannaddhāḥ kulaputrā madotkaṭāḥ | etān adya haniṣyāmi paśyatas te na saṃśayaḥ ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Saudara-saudaranya juga berdiri lengkap bersenjata—para pahlawan berdarah bangsawan, menyala oleh keangkuhan. Hari ini akan ku bunuh mereka di hadapan matamu; tiada syak lagi.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how pride and martial bravado can harden into a vow of violence; ethically, it contrasts the kṣatriya impulse toward decisive action with the danger of arrogance (mada) that eclipses restraint and discernment.
In Sañjaya’s battlefield report, a warrior declares that the opponent’s brothers—fully armed and high-born—will be slain that very day, even as the addressed listener watches, emphasizing confidence and the immediacy of impending combat.