Shloka 23
Adhyāya 110: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament on Fate; Saṃjaya’s Reproof and the Princes’ Assault on Bhīma (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय ११०)
तिष्ठेदानीं रणे पार्थ पश्य मे5द्य पराक्रमम्,'पार्थ! इस समय तुम रणक्षेत्रमें डटे रहो और आज मेरा पराक्रम देखो। दुर्मते! मेरे बलवान भाई राक्षसराज बकको जो तुमने मार डाला था, वह सब कुछ मेरी आँखोंकी ओटमें हुआ था (मेरे सामने तुम कुछ नहीं कर सकते थे)”
tiṣṭhedānīṃ raṇe pārtha paśya me 'dya parākramam | durmate me balavān bhrātā rākṣasarājo bakaḥ yo tvayā hataḥ sa sarvaṃ mama cakṣuṣor oṭe 'bhavat |
Sañjaya berkata: “Berdirilah teguh di medan perang sekarang, wahai Pārtha, dan saksikan keperwiraanku hari ini. Wahai yang tersesat fikirannya! Saudaraku yang gagah—Baka, raja para Rākṣasa—yang pernah engkau bunuh, semuanya terjadi hanya kerana hal itu terlindung daripada pandanganku; di hadapanku sendiri, engkau tidak akan mampu melakukan perbuatan sedemikian.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the moral danger of pride and taunting in war: the speaker frames past victory as mere circumstance and demands a direct display of strength, reflecting how ego and rivalry can eclipse sober discernment of dharma in battle.
In the midst of the Drona Parva fighting, Sañjaya addresses Arjuna, challenging him to stand his ground and witness Sañjaya’s prowess, claiming that Arjuna’s earlier slaying of the rākṣasa-king Baka occurred only because it was not done in Sañjaya’s direct presence.