Shloka 31
(यमौ च चेकिताननश्न प्रहृष्टाश्न प्रभद्रका: । नानादेश्याश्न ये शूरा: शिष्टा युद्धाभिनन्दिन: ।।
sañjaya uvāca |
yamau ca cekitānaś ca prahṛṣṭāś ca prabhadrakāḥ |
nānādeśyāś ca ye śūrāḥ śiṣṭā yuddhābhinandinaḥ ||
te sarve sahitā hṛṣṭāḥ parivavruḥ dhanañjayam |
rakṣiṣyantaḥ śatrughnaṃ patty-aśva-ratha-kuñjaraiḥ ||
dhanañjayasya vijaye dhṛtāḥ karṇa-vadhe ’pi ca |
tathaiva tāvakāḥ sarve yattāḥ senā-prahāriṇaḥ |
duryodhana-mukhā rājan karṇaṃ jugupur āhave ||
tāvakānāṃ raṇe karṇo glaho hy āsīd viśāṃpate |
tathaiva pāṇḍaveyānāṃ glahaḥ pārtho ’bhavat tadā ||
Sañjaya berkata: Putera kembar Mādrī (Nakula dan Sahadeva), juga Cekitāna, dan kaum Prabhadraka—dalam kegembiraan—bersama para pahlawan gagah dari pelbagai negeri, para kesatria berdisiplin yang menggemari perang, semuanya bersatu hati, bersorak serentak, lalu membentuk lingkaran pelindung mengelilingi Dhanañjaya (Arjuna). Dengan infantri, kavaleri, kereta perang, dan gajah, mereka hendak menjaga Arjuna si pembinasa musuh, teguh berazam akan kemenangannya dan juga akan terbunuhnya Karṇa. Demikian pula, wahai Raja, semua pahlawan tuanku—dipimpin Duryodhana—berdiri waspada, ghairah menghentam bala musuh, dan di medan laga mereka melindungi Karṇa. Dalam perang itu, wahai pelindung rakyat, Karṇa menjadi taruhan di pihak tuanku; dan di pihak Pāṇḍava, Pārtha (Arjuna) pun menjadi taruhan—masing-masing bala mempertaruhkan harapan dan maruah pada jagoannya.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights collective responsibility in war: each side rallies around its chosen champion, treating him as a ‘stake’ (glaha). Ethically, it shows how loyalty and resolve can intensify conflict—armies invest honor and destiny in individuals, turning personal duels into communal, high-stakes commitments.
Pāṇḍava allies—Nakula, Sahadeva, Cekitāna, the Prabhadrakas, and other warriors—surround and protect Arjuna with all four arms of the army (infantry, cavalry, chariots, elephants), determined to secure his victory and Karṇa’s death. Simultaneously, the Kauravas led by Duryodhana protect Karṇa. Sañjaya frames both Karṇa and Arjuna as the respective ‘wagers’ in the battle-game.