Shloka 108

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 47 — Arjuna’s Deterrent Declaration

Sañjaya’s Report

Devanagari script

ये वैजय्या: समरे सूत लब्ध्वा देवानपीन्द्रप्रमुखान्‌ समेतान्‌ । तैर्मन्यते कलहं सम्प्रसहा स धार्तराष्ट्र: पश्यत मोहमस्य

Transliteration

ye vaijayyāḥ samare sūta labdhvā devān apīndrapramukhān sametān | tair manyate kalahaṃ samprasahā sa dhārtarāṣṭraḥ paśyata moham asya ||

Translation

Sanjaya berkata: “Wahai Sūta, para Pāṇḍava itu sedemikian rupa sehingga, sekalipun mereka bertemu Indra dan seluruh para dewa yang berhimpun di bawah kepimpinannya di medan perang, mereka tidak akan berhenti sebelum menundukkan mereka. Namun putera Dhṛtarāṣṭra, didorong keangkuhan yang degil, tetap berkeras memaksa perang dengan Pāṇḍava yang sama—lihatlah kebingungan yang menguasainya.”

Word by Word

• {'ye': 'those who', 'vaijayyāḥ': 'possessed of victory

• invincible/conquerors (lit. ‘victorious ones’)', 'samare': 'in battle, in war', 'sūta': 'O charioteer

• here an address to Sañjaya’s interlocutor', 'labdhvā': 'having obtained/encountered, having met with', 'devān': 'the gods', 'api': 'even, even if', 'indra-pramukhān': 'with Indra as the foremost

• led by Indra', 'sametān': 'assembled, gathered together', 'taiḥ': 'by them/with them (i.e., with such opponents)', 'manyate': 'he thinks, he intends, he imagines', 'kalaham': 'quarrel, conflict, war', 'samprasahā': 'with force, violently

• obstinately/impetuously', 'saḥ': 'he', 'dhārtarāṣṭraḥ': 'the son/descendant of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (here: Duryodhana)', 'paśyata': 'behold, look!', 'mohaḥ': 'delusion, infatuation, moral blindness', 'asya': 'of him, his'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sūta
• Pāṇḍavas
• Indra
• Devas
• Dhārtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how moha (delusion) and stubborn pride can drive a person to choose destructive conflict even against overwhelming odds. Ethical discernment requires recognizing reality, heeding wise counsel, and restraining ego before it turns into adharma and ruin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya comments on Duryodhana’s reckless determination to wage war against the Pāṇḍavas. He emphasizes the Pāṇḍavas’ formidable prowess—so great that even the gods led by Indra would not deter them—then points to Duryodhana’s delusion in provoking such a conflict.