Shloka 153
Adhyāya 41 — Kṛṣṇa’s Battlefield Briefing and the Renewal of the Great Engagement
शरौघधिणं पार्थिवान् मज्जयन्तं वेलेव पार्थमिषुभि: संसहिष्ये । “कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुन अत्यन्त बलशाली
sañjaya uvāca | śaraughadhinaṃ pārthivān majjayantaṃ veleva pārtham iṣubhiḥ saṃsahiṣye | kuntīkumarārjuna atyanta-balaśālī mahān astradhārī samudra iva samaṃ durlanghyaḥ bhayaṅkaraḥ bāṇa-samūhānāṃ dhārāṃ vahann bahu-saṅkhyakān bhūpālān dubo deva | tathāpi ahaṃ samudraṃ rokamāṇā taṭabhūmi iva svabāṇaiḥ arjunaṃ balapūrvakaṃ rokeṣye tasya vegaṃ ca sahiṣye ||
Sañjaya disse: “Suportarei o ímpeto das flechas de Pārtha (Arjuna). Como a praia que contém o oceano, resistirei enquanto ele derrama uma torrente de setas capaz de afogar multidões de reis. Arjuna, filho de Kuntī, é poderosíssimo, mestre de grandes armas—terrível, difícil de transpor como o mar, e incansável em sua chuva de flechas. Ainda assim, eu o deterei à força com minhas próprias flechas e suportarei seu ímpeto.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights kṣatriya resolve: recognizing an opponent’s overwhelming power yet committing to steadfast resistance. Ethically, it frames courage as disciplined endurance—like a shore that restrains the sea—rather than denial of danger.
Sañjaya reports a warrior’s assessment of Arjuna: Arjuna is depicted as an ocean-like force whose arrows can ‘drown’ many kings. Despite this, the speaker vows to check Arjuna’s advance with his own arrows and withstand the assault.