Shloka 35
Dvaipāyana-hrade Duryodhanasya Māyā — Yudhiṣṭhirasya Dharmoktiḥ (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 30)
पाण्डवापि महाराज लब्धलक्ष्या: प्रहारिण: । अपश्यमाना: समरे दुर्योधनमवस्थितम्,महाराज! प्रहार करनेमें कुशल पाण्डवोंने अपना लक्ष्य सिद्ध कर लिया था; उन्होंने दुर्योधनको समरांगण-में खड़ा न देख उस पापीके किये हुए छल-कपटका बदला चुकाकर वैरके पार जानेकी इच्छासे उस संग्रामभूमिमें चारों ओर गुप्तचर भेज रखे थे
sañjaya uvāca |
pāṇḍavā api mahārāja labdhalakṣyāḥ prahāriṇaḥ |
apaśyamānāḥ samare duryodhanam avasthitam ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai Raja, para Pāṇḍava juga—mahir dalam serangan dan telah mencapai sasaran mereka—apabila tidak melihat Duryodhana berdiri di medan perang, mula mencarinya di seluruh gelanggang. Pencarian itu bukan semata-mata taktik, tetapi didorong oleh tuntutan dharma untuk melunaskan tipu daya dan pengkhianatan, serta hasrat menamatkan permusuhan hingga ke penghujungnya melalui pembalasan yang adil dalam perang.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the tension between righteous duty in war (kṣatriya-dharma) and the human drive for vengeance: success in battle is not only tactical, but also morally charged when the enemy is associated with deceit. The narrative frames the Pāṇḍavas’ pursuit as a settling of moral accounts within the accepted arena of combat.
Sañjaya reports to the king that the Pāṇḍavas, having achieved their immediate objective and being skilled fighters, do not see Duryodhana on the battlefield. Not finding him stationed there, they begin seeking him out, intent on bringing the conflict with him to a decisive conclusion.