Shloka 9
Chapter 23: Śakuni Reports, Kaurava Advance, and Arjuna’s Penetration of the Host
ततो दुर्योधनो राजा रथान् सप्तशतान् रणे | प्रैषयद् यत्र राजासौ धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिर:
tato duryodhano rājā rathān saptśatān raṇe | praiṣayad yatra rājāsau dharmaputro yudhiṣṭhiraḥ ||
สัญชัยกล่าวว่า—แล้วพระเจ้าทุรโยธนะได้ส่งรถศึกเจ็ดร้อยคันเข้าสู่สนามรบ ไปยังที่ซึ่งพระเจ้ายุธิษฐิระ โอรสแห่งธรรมะ ประทับอยู่.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how adharma often attempts to defeat dharma not by moral argument but by concentrating power and force against righteous leadership. It invites reflection on kingship: true authority is measured by alignment with dharma, even when confronted by overwhelming might.
Sañjaya reports that Duryodhana orders a large chariot contingent—seven hundred—to move toward the position of Yudhiṣṭhira. It is a tactical decision to pressure or break the Pandava center by striking at their king.