Shloka 35
विरथं धर्मराजं तु दृष्टवा सुदृढविक्षतम् | शिखण्डिनं सात्यकिं च धृष्टद्युम्नं च पार्षतम्
virathaṃ dharmarājaṃ tu dṛṣṭvā sudṛḍha-vikṣatam | śikhaṇḍinaṃ sātyakiṃ ca dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ ca pārṣatam ||
Arjuna berkata: “Melihat Raja Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira) dilucutkan daripada keretanya dan cedera parah—dan juga menyaksikan Śikhaṇḍin, Sātyaki, serta Dhṛṣṭadyumna, putera Pṛṣata, ditumbangkan—amarahku telah menyala. Pemandangan demikian tidak dapat ditanggung; kehinaan dan luka yang menimpa raja yang benar serta sekutunya mesti dijawab dengan pertempuran.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the kṣatriya ethic of protecting the righteous king and one’s comrades: witnessing grievous harm to Dharmarāja and key allies becomes a moral trigger for decisive action. It also highlights how battlefield emotion (krodha) arises from perceived adharma—humiliation and injury of the just—and must be disciplined into duty rather than mere vengeance.
Arjuna speaks after seeing Yudhiṣṭhira rendered chariotless and badly wounded, along with prominent Pāṇḍava-side warriors (Śikhaṇḍin, Sātyaki, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna) injured. This sight provokes Arjuna’s fierce resolve to confront the opposing force and respond to the setback on the battlefield.