Shloka 8
Daitya-āśvāsana of Duryodhana; Karṇa’s assurance and the mobilization of the Kaurava host
छटद्दाना निर्जितास्ते तु कर्शिताश्व महावने । तपोनित्याश्न राधेय समर्थाश्ष महारथा:,राधानन्दन! पाण्डव छलपूर्वक हराये गये हैं। महान् वनमें रहकर उन्हें बड़ा कष्ट भोगना पड़ा है। वे निरन्तर तपस्या करते रहे हैं और अब विशेष शक्तिसम्पन्न हो गये हैं। महारथी तो वे हैं ही
chala-dānā nirjitās te tu karśitāś ca mahāvane | tapo-nityāś ca rādheya samarthāś ca mahārathāḥ ||
Dhṛtarāṣṭra disse: “Aqueles (os Pāṇḍavas) foram derrotados por meio de um jogo enganoso e foram consumidos pelas agruras na grande floresta. Vivendo ali, suportaram severos sofrimentos; permaneceram constantemente devotados à austeridade. Agora, ó filho de Rādhā, tornaram-se especialmente poderosos — e, de todo modo, são grandes guerreiros de carro.”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical cost of victory gained through deceit (chala) and suggests that suffering borne with discipline (tapas) can transform the afflicted into stronger, more capable agents—implying that unjust gains may later invite formidable consequences.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra addresses Karṇa, recalling that the Pāṇḍavas were made to lose through a deceitful gambling episode and then endured harsh forest exile; he warns, implicitly, that their sustained austerities have increased their power and that they remain formidable warriors.