Śalya’s Objection to Sārathya and Duryodhana’s Conciliation (शल्यमन्यु-प्रशमनम् / Sārathyāṅgīkāra)
पश्य मां त्वं रणे पाप चक्षुविषयमागतम् | त्वं हि मूलमनर्थानां वैरस्थ कलहस्य च
sañjaya uvāca | paśya māṁ tvaṁ raṇe pāpa cakṣu-viṣayam āgatam | tvaṁ hi mūlam anarthānāṁ vairasya kalahasya ca ||
“పాపీ! యుద్ధంలో నన్ను చూడు—నేను నీ కళ్ల ముందే వచ్చాను. ఈ అనర్థాలన్నిటికీ మూలం నీవే; వైరం, కలహం పుట్టుక కూడా నీవే.”
संजय उवाच
The verse frames moral responsibility in war: a single agent’s choices can become the ‘root’ (mūla) of widespread calamity, enmity, and social breakdown, emphasizing accountability for instigating conflict.
In Sañjaya’s narration, a warrior confronts an opponent on the battlefield, demanding that he look directly at him and accusing him of being the primary cause of the ongoing disasters and factional strife.