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 ||
सञ्जय उवाच— पार्थस्य शरौघवेगं सहिष्ये; सागरं प्रतिरुणद्धि यथा वेला, तथा तस्य बहु-भूपाल-निमज्जनक्षमं शरवर्षं सहमानोऽहं स्वशरैरेव अर्जुनं बलात् प्रतिषेधयिष्यामि, तस्य वेगं च धारयिष्यामि। कुन्तीपुत्रोऽर्जुनोऽत्यन्तबलवान् महास्त्रविद्, समुद्र इव दुर्लङ्घ्यः, भीषणः, शरधारानिरन्तरवर्षी; तथापि तमहं स्वबाणैः प्रतिरोद्धुं समर्थः।
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.