Shloka 18
शल्यस्य सेनापत्याभ्युपगमः | Śalya’s Acceptance of Command
न निवारयितु शक््या: संग्रामात्ते परंतपा:
na nivārayitu śakyāḥ saṅgrāmāt te paraṃtapāḥ |
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai pembakar musuh, para wira itu kini tidak dapat lagi dihalang daripada perang. Sejak Draupadī dihina dan disakiti, dia hidup dalam dukacita, setiap hari berbaring di atas pelantar tanah dengan tekad tetap untuk memusnahkan kami. Dia telah mengambil nazar ini hingga dendam itu dibalas sepenuhnya.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights the moral momentum created by injustice: when grievous wrong is done (Draupadī’s humiliation), it generates vows, resolve, and an irreversible drive toward conflict. It underscores how adharma can harden hearts and make reconciliation difficult once honor and suffering demand redress.
Sañjaya reports that the opposing heroes can no longer be held back from battle. He links this inevitability to Draupadī’s continuing grief and her severe vow—sleeping on an earthen altar—until the enmity is fully avenged, implying that the war’s course is fueled by her unresolved suffering.