Shloka 17
'सूत! तुम धीरे-धीरे रथ आगे बढ़ाओ। मैं सम्पूर्ण सेनाओंके पीछे जब हाथमें धनुष लेकर खड़ा होऊँगा, उस समय अर्जुन मुझे लाँधकर आगे नहीं बढ़ सकते ।।
yudhyamānaṃ hi kaunteyaṃ haniṣyāmi na saṃśayaḥ | notsaheṇ mām atikrāntuṃ velām iva mahodadhiḥ ||
“Sūta! Dahan-dahan mong itulak ang karwahe pasulong. Kapag ako’y nakatindig sa likuran ng buong hukbo, tangan ang pana, hindi makalalampas sa akin si Arjuna upang sumulong. Kung makikipaglaban sa akin ang anak ni Kuntī, tiyak na pababagsakin ko siya—walang alinlangan. Gaya ng dakilang karagatan na hindi makalalampas sa sariling pampang, gayon din siya’y hindi makalalampas sa akin.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights unwavering resolve in battle and the idea of a ‘limit’ or boundary that cannot be crossed—expressed through the ocean-and-shore simile. Ethically, it reflects the Kṣatriya world-view of decisive confrontation, where confidence and steadfastness are presented as virtues, even as the narrative invites reflection on pride, fate, and the costs of war.
In Sañjaya’s report from the battlefield, a warrior (in the surrounding context, addressing the charioteer) declares that when he stands with bow in hand behind the armies, Arjuna will not be able to push past him. He asserts that if Arjuna fights him directly, he will surely kill him, comparing Arjuna’s inability to pass him to the ocean’s inability to overstep its shore.