Mahabharata 9.3.2 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 3, Shloka 2
अध्याय ३: कृपस्य दुर्योधनं प्रति नीत्युपदेशः
Kṛpa’s Counsel to Duryodhana
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ााभारत शल्यपर्वमें धृतराष्ट्रका विलापविषयक दूसरा अध्याय पूरा हुआ,निहते सूतपुत्रे तु पाण्डवेन महात्मना । विद्रुतेषु च सैन्येषु समानीतेषु चासकृत्
nihate sūtaputre tu pāṇḍavena mahātmanā | vidruteṣu ca sainyeṣu samānīteṣu cāsakṛt ||
Disse Vaiśaṃpāyana: Quando o filho do cocheiro foi morto pelo Pāṇḍava de grande alma, e quando os exércitos, fugindo em desordem, eram repetidas vezes reunidos e trazidos de volta à formação, a pressão moral e emocional da guerra se intensificou — vitória e perda desdobrando-se lado a lado, em meio ao colapso e à recomposição da determinação coletiva.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how war tests dharma not only through individual heroism but through the fragile morale of entire armies: even after a decisive death, forces may collapse into fear and yet be repeatedly reconstituted by leadership—showing the oscillation between despair and duty.
After the killing of the ‘sūtaputra’ (understood as Karṇa) by a Pāṇḍava, the troops scatter in panic; nevertheless, they are gathered and reorganized again and again, indicating continuing conflict and the effort to restore battle order.
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