Shloka 18
रणभूमिवर्णनम् — Devāsuropama-yuddha and the ‘River’ Metaphor of the Battlefield
तामाशां हृदये कृत्वा समाश्चवस्य च भारत । मद्रराजं च समरे समाश्रित्य महारथम्
tām āśāṃ hṛdaye kṛtvā samāś ca vasya ca bhārata | madrarājaṃ ca samare samāśritya mahāratham ||
Sinabi ni Sañjaya: “O Bhārata, matapos itanim nang matatag sa puso ang pag-asang iyon, at sa gitna ng labanan ay umasa sa makapangyarihang mandirigmang nakasakay sa karwahe—ang hari ng Madra—itinakda niya ang kanyang hakbang ayon doon.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a wartime ethic of deliberate reliance: once a leader fixes an intention (āśā) internally, he seeks support from a proven mahāratha. It underscores how inner resolve and choosing capable allies shape action in crisis.
Sañjaya narrates that, with a particular hope in mind, the concerned party aligns himself with the Madrarāja Śalya—an eminent warrior—on the battlefield, indicating a strategic dependence on Śalya’s martial strength at this stage of the war.