Shloka 48
Saṃśaptakas in Candrārdha-vyūha; Arjuna’s Devadatta and the Traigarta Rout
Chapter 17
ततो दौर्योधनं सैन्यं मुदा परमया युतम् | ऋतेडर्जुनं भृशं क्रुद्धं धर्मराजस्य निग्रहे,तब दुर्योधनकी सेना बड़ी प्रसन्नताके साथ अर्जुनके बिना राजा युधिष्ठिरको कैद करनेके लिये अत्यन्त क्रोधपूर्वक प्रयत्न करने लगी
tato dauryodhanaṁ sainyaṁ mudā paramayā yutam | ṛte ’rjunaṁ bhṛśaṁ kruddhaṁ dharmarājasya nigrahe ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Kemudian tentera Duryodhana, dipenuhi kegembiraan yang meluap, mula bertindak—tanpa kehadiran Arjuna—untuk menangkap Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira). Dengan amarah yang menyala-nyala, mereka berusaha keras menundukkan dan menawan raja.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how, in war, opponents often target the moral and strategic pivot of a side—here Dharmarāja—especially when the chief protector (Arjuna) is absent. Ethically, it underscores the vulnerability of dharma-centered leadership amid aggressive, opportunistic force, and the tension between righteous rule and battlefield pragmatism.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana’s troops, encouraged and delighted, intensify their effort to overpower and capture Yudhiṣṭhira. They do so specifically because Arjuna is not present, and they act with heightened anger and urgency to secure a decisive advantage.