Shloka 14
Saṃśaptaka-Varūthinī Saṅgrāma — Binding and Counter-Binding (संशप्तक-वरूथिनी-संग्रामः)
न चेत् तदभिमन्येत पुरुषो<र्जुनदर्शिवान्
na cet tad abhimanyeta puruṣo 'rjunadarśivān
Sañjaya berkata: “Jika seorang yang telah menyaksikan Arjuna sendiri tidak mengambil kira hakikat itu, dia akan terjerumus ke dalam penipuan diri yang berbahaya—tersalah menilai baik kekuatan yang berdiri di hadapannya mahupun beban moral peperangan ini.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns against arrogant miscalculation: one who has directly seen Arjuna’s capability should not indulge in presumptions that ignore reality. Ethically, it critiques pride and urges sober discernment in war, where false confidence leads to ruin and unjust decisions.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, comments on the folly of underestimating Arjuna. The line functions as a cautionary observation within the battlefield narration, emphasizing that firsthand knowledge of Arjuna’s prowess should restrain reckless expectations.