Shloka 39
Bhagadatta’s Advance, the Saṃśaptaka Challenge, and Arjuna’s Counterstrike (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय २६)
व्यवच्छिद्य तु राजानं भगदत्तं युधिष्ठिर:
vyavacchidya tu rājānaṃ bhagadattaṃ yudhiṣṭhiraḥ
Sañjaya berkata: Maka Yudhiṣṭhira, setelah memutuskan dan mengasingkan Raja Bhagadatta daripada bala sokongannya, mara untuk mengekangnya—suatu tindakan kebijaksanaan raja di tengah perang, demi melumpuhkan ancaman yang dahsyat tanpa menimbulkan kekacauan yang tidak perlu.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in violent conflict, righteous leadership expresses itself through restraint and clarity of purpose: isolating a dangerous opponent is a measured strategy that limits wider harm and prevents chaos, aligning martial action with responsible kingship.
Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira acts against King Bhagadatta by separating him from his support—suggesting a tactical move on the battlefield to neutralize Bhagadatta’s threat and control the flow of combat.