Shloka 17
'सूत! तुम धीरे-धीरे रथ आगे बढ़ाओ। मैं सम्पूर्ण सेनाओंके पीछे जब हाथमें धनुष लेकर खड़ा होऊँगा, उस समय अर्जुन मुझे लाँधकर आगे नहीं बढ़ सकते ।। युध्यमानं हि कौन्तेयं हनिष्यामि न संशय: । नोत्सहेन्मामतिक्रान्तुं वेलामिव महोदधि:,“यदि वे मुझसे युद्ध करेंगे तो मैं उन्हें निःसंदेह मार गिराऊँगा। जैसे महासागर अपनी तटभूमिको लाँधघकर आगे नहीं बढ़ता, उसी प्रकार वे भी मुझे लाँध नहीं सकते
yudhyamānaṃ hi kaunteyaṃ haniṣyāmi na saṃśayaḥ | notsaheṇ mām atikrāntuṃ velām iva mahodadhiḥ ||
“Ó Sūta! Faz avançar o carro lentamente. Quando eu estiver de pé atrás de todos os exércitos, com o arco na mão, Arjuna não poderá passar por mim para seguir adiante. Se o filho de Kuntī me enfrentar em combate, eu o abaterei com certeza — não há dúvida. Assim como o grande oceano não pode ultrapassar a própria linha da costa, do mesmo modo ele não poderá ultrapassar-me.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights unwavering resolve in battle and the idea of a ‘limit’ or boundary that cannot be crossed—expressed through the ocean-and-shore simile. Ethically, it reflects the Kṣatriya world-view of decisive confrontation, where confidence and steadfastness are presented as virtues, even as the narrative invites reflection on pride, fate, and the costs of war.
In Sañjaya’s report from the battlefield, a warrior (in the surrounding context, addressing the charioteer) declares that when he stands with bow in hand behind the armies, Arjuna will not be able to push past him. He asserts that if Arjuna fights him directly, he will surely kill him, comparing Arjuna’s inability to pass him to the ocean’s inability to overstep its shore.