Shloka 5
Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 77 — Saindhava resistance, Arjuna’s restraint, and Duḥśalā’s supplication
ततस्ते त॑ं महावीर्या राजान: पर्यवारयन् । जिगीषन्तो नरव्याप्रं पूर्व विनिकृता युधि
tataste taṁ mahāvīryā rājānaḥ paryavārayan | jigīṣanto naravyāghraṁ pūrvaṁ vinikṛtā yudhi ||
毗舍摩波罗耶那说：于是，那些勇力卓绝的诸王将他团团围住。渴望征服这位“人中之虎”的他们——曾在先前战斗中受辱败北——如今又想再度压倒他，皆因受创的傲气与武士对胜利的饥渴所驱使。
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a recurring ethical tension in kṣatriya life: the pursuit of victory can be fueled not only by duty but also by wounded pride and the desire to erase past humiliation. It implicitly cautions that martial zeal (jigīṣā) often arises from ego as much as from dharma.
A group of powerful kings encircle the central hero (called ‘tiger among men’). Having been defeated earlier in battle, they now unite and attempt to overpower him, seeking a reversal of their former loss.