Shloka 15
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 3 — Sātyaki on Inner Disposition, Legitimacy, and Coercive Readiness
को हि गाण्डीवधन्वानं कश्च चक्रायुधं युधि
vaiśampāyana uvāca | ko hi gāṇḍīvadhanvānaṃ kaś ca cakrāyudhaṃ yudhi, ko jijīviṣur āsāded dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ ca pārṣatam ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Siapakah, yang masih ingin hidup, akan berani di medan perang menghadapi Arjuna, pemegang busur Gāṇḍīva, dan Kṛṣṇa, pembawa senjata cakra—serta Dhṛṣṭadyumna, putera Pṛṣata? Pernyataan ini menegaskan betapa sia-sianya, dari segi dharma dan strategi, mencetuskan perang terhadap para pahlawan yang dilindungi oleh keperkasaan, sebab yang benar, dan sekutu yang dahsyat.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse uses a rhetorical question to stress prudent judgment: initiating or escalating war against overwhelmingly capable and well-supported opponents is not merely tactically unsound but also ethically reckless, since it invites needless destruction.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Vaiśampāyana highlights the daunting strength of the Pāṇḍava side by naming Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa, and Dhṛṣṭadyumna, implying that any Kaurava who values life would hesitate to face them in open battle.