Shloka 19
Chapter 49: Sañjaya’s Enumeration of the Pāṇḍava Coalition (पाण्डवसैन्यसमागम-वर्णनम्)
महाराज! जो धर्मात्मा न रोषसे, न भयसे, न लोभसे, न अर्थके लिये और न बहाना बनाकर ही कभी सत्यका परित्याग कर सकते हैं, जो धर्मात्माओंमें श्रेष्ठ हैं और धर्मके विषयमें प्रमाण माने जाते हैं, उन अजातशत्रुके प्रभावसे पाण्डवोंने युद्धकी तैयारी की है ।। यस्य बाहुबले तुल्य: पृथिव्यां नास्ति कश्नन । यो वै सर्वान् महीपालान् वशे चक्रे धनुर्धर: । य: काशीनड्रमगधान् कलिड्जांश्न युधाजयत्
sañjaya uvāca |
mahārāja! yo dharmātmā na roṣyate, na bibheti, na lubhyati, na arthakṛte, na ca chadmam āśritya kadācit satyaṃ parityaktuṃ śaknoti; yo dharmātmanāṃ śreṣṭhaḥ, dharmaviṣaye ca pramāṇaṃ mataḥ—tasya ajātaśatroḥ prabhāvena pāṇḍavaiḥ yuddhasya sajjā kṛtā ||
yasya bāhubale tulyaḥ pṛthivyāṃ nāsti kaścana |
yo vai sarvān mahīpālān vaśe cakre dhanurdharaḥ |
yaḥ kāśīn aṅgān magadhān kaliṅgāṃś ca yudhājayat ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Wahai raja, para Pāṇḍava telah bersiap untuk perang di bawah pengaruh Ajātaśatru—seorang yang berjiwa dharma, yang tidak pernah meninggalkan kebenaran: bukan kerana marah, bukan kerana takut, bukan kerana tamak, bukan demi keuntungan, dan bukan pula dengan berselindung di sebalik apa-apa helah. Dialah yang terunggul antara orang-orang berpegang pada dharma dan diakui sebagai autoriti dalam hal dharma. Di bumi ini tiada siapa setara dengannya pada kekuatan lengan. Pemanah itu menundukkan semua raja di bawah kuasanya, dan menakluk Kāśī, Aṅga, Magadha, serta Kaliṅga.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates satya (truthfulness) as a non-negotiable pillar of dharma: the truly righteous do not abandon truth due to anger, fear, greed, self-interest, or convenient excuses. Moral authority (being ‘pramāṇa’ in dharma) is presented as a real form of power that shapes political and military outcomes.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍavas have prepared for war, inspired and strengthened by Ajātaśatru (Yudhiṣṭhira). He then underscores the formidable martial and political stature of this figure—unmatched in strength, an archer who subdued many kings and conquered regions such as Kāśī, Aṅga, Magadha, and Kaliṅga.