Shloka 17
धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — इरावान्-आवन्त्ययोः युद्धम्, घटोत्कच-भगदत्त-संघर्षः, मद्रेश्वर-विक्षेपः
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya Dialogue: Irāvān vs the Avanti princes; Ghaṭotkaca vs Bhagadatta; Śalya checked by the Mādrī twins
द्रोणभीष्माभिसंगुप्तं गुप्त च कृतवर्मणा
sañjaya uvāca | droṇabhīṣmābhisaṃguptaṃ guptaṃ ca kṛtavarmaṇā | kṛpācāryeṇa duḥśāsanena jayadrathena bhagadattena vikarṇenāśvatthāmnā śakunina tathā bāhlikādinā ca pramukhavīraiḥ anyaiś ca balavādbhiḥ mahāmanasvibhiḥ janaiḥ mama senā sadā surakṣitā tiṣṭhati | sā senā yadi saṃgrāme hatā bhavet, tatra naḥ purātanaṃ prārabdhameva kāraṇam iti ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Tentera beta sentiasa terlindung dengan kukuh—diselubungi oleh Droṇa dan Bhīṣma, turut dikawal oleh Kṛtavarman, serta dipertahankan oleh wira-wira utama seperti Kṛpa, Duḥśāsana, Jayadratha, Bhagadatta, Vikarṇa, Aśvatthāman, Śakuni, Bāhlika, dan para lelaki perkasa lagi luhur budi yang lain. Namun, jika tentera yang sedemikian juga gugur di medan perang, puncanya tiada lain melainkan takdir purba yang telah pun bermula (prārabdha) bagi kami.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even the strongest human arrangements—elite commanders, layered defenses, and powerful allies—can fail if adverse karma has already begun to fructify (prārabdha). The verse frames defeat not merely as a tactical lapse but as moral-causal inevitability rooted in past actions.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Kaurava forces are guarded by renowned heroes (Droṇa, Bhīṣma, and others). Yet he adds that if such a well-protected army is still being destroyed in the war, the underlying reason must be their long-standing destiny—hinting at the unfolding consequences of the Kauravas’ earlier choices.