Shloka 10
Saṃśaptakas in Candrārdha-vyūha; Arjuna’s Devadatta and the Traigarta Rout
Chapter 17
यदि तिष्ठति संग्रामे मुहूर्तमपि पाण्डव: । अथापयाति संग्रामाद् विजयात् तद् विशिष्यते,“महाराज! यदि अर्जुनके बिना दो घड़ी भी युद्धभूमिमें खड़े रहे तो मैं तुम्हारे लिये धर्मपुत्र पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिरको आज उनके गणोंसहित अवश्य पकड़ लाऊँगा; इसमें संदेह नहीं है और यदि वे संग्रामसे भाग जाते हैं तो यह हमारी विजयसे भी बढ़कर है!
yadi tiṣṭhati saṅgrāme muhūrtam api pāṇḍavaḥ | atha apayāti saṅgrāmād vijayāt tad viśiṣyate ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Jika Pāṇḍava itu tetap teguh di medan perang walau hanya satu muhūrta, maka (aku akan bertindak sewajarnya). Tetapi jika dia berundur dari gelanggang pertempuran, maka hal itu—lebih daripada kemenangan kita sekalipun—itulah hasil yang lebih besar.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights steadfastness (tiṣṭhati) as a crucial measure of resolve in dharmic warfare: holding one’s ground even briefly can determine outcomes, while retreat is portrayed as a moral-strategic failure whose significance can exceed ordinary notions of victory.
Sañjaya reports a conditional assessment about a Pāṇḍava’s conduct in battle: if he remains on the field even for a short time, the situation is one kind; if he withdraws, that retreat is treated as an outcome more consequential than the opposing side’s victory.