Shloka 45
Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ
Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit
दैत्यानां तद् वच: श्रुत्वा हृदि कृत्वा स्थिरां मतिम् ततो मनुजशार्दूलो योजयामास वाहिनीम्
daitayānāṁ tad vacaḥ śrutvā hṛdi kṛtvā sthirāṁ matim | tato manujaśārdūlo yojayāmāsa vāhinīm ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Setelah mendengar kata-kata kaum Daitya dan meneguhkan azam yang kukuh di dalam hati, sang “harimau di antara manusia” pun mula menyusun bala tenteranya. Mengingati apa yang telah diucapkan sebelumnya, Duryodhana membuat keputusan yang tegas untuk berperang melawan para Pāṇḍava, lalu memerintahkan agar angkatan empat serangkai—kereta perang, gajah, kuda dan infantri—disiapkan untuk perarakan menuju Hastināpura. Wahai Raja, pasukan yang besar itu pun mula bergerak bagaikan arus Sungai Gaṅgā—melimpah, tidak tertahan, dan sarat dengan niat.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores how advice, once accepted inwardly as a ‘firm resolve’ (sthirā mati), becomes decisive action. Ethically, it warns that determination is morally neutral: it can serve dharma when guided by right counsel, but it can also accelerate adharma when rooted in hostility—here, the resolve culminates in organizing war.
After hearing the Daityas’ words, Duryodhana fixes his decision to fight the Pāṇḍavas and orders his fourfold army to be readied for the journey toward Hastināpura. The host begins to move in a powerful, continuous surge likened to the current of the Gaṅgā.