Shloka 34
Kṛpa’s Archery Display; Śikhaṇḍin Checked; Suketu Slain; Dhṛṣṭadyumna–Kṛtavarmā Clash (कृपशौर्य–पार्षतहार्दिक्ययुद्धम्)
यथाखुः स्याद् विडालबश्न श्वा व्याप्रश्न बलाबले । यथा शृगाल: सिंहश्व यथा च शशकुञ्जरौ
yathākhuḥ syād viḍālabhakṣyaḥ śvā vyāghrasya balābale | yathā śṛgālaḥ siṁhasya yathā ca śaśakūñjarau ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Sebagaimana tikus menjadi mangsa kucing, anjing kepada harimau—sebagaimana serigala hutan tidak sepadan dengan singa, dan arnab dengan gajah—demikian juga jelaslah jurang kekuatan di sini: engkau yang lebih lemah, dan Arjuna yang lebih kuat.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches sober discernment in conflict: one should recognize relative strength and weakness rather than be driven by pride or rashness. The animal similes underline that mismatched contests invite ruin, so counsel should be grounded in reality and proportion.
Sañjaya, narrating the battlefield events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, uses a chain of vivid comparisons (prey vs predator) to stress an imbalance of power: the addressed warrior is portrayed as comparatively weak, while Arjuna is presented as decisively strong.