Adhyāya 65: Dawn Assembly, Makara–Śyena Vyūhas, and Commander Engagements
हीनान् पुरुषकारेण मामकानद्य संजय । पातितान् पात्यमानांश्व हतानेव च शंससि,संजय! आजकल मेरे पुत्र और सैनिक पुरुषार्थसे हीन हो रहे हैं और शत्रुओंने उन्हें धराशायी किया एवं मार डाला है। प्रतिदिन वे शत्रुओंके हाथसे मारे ही जा रहे हैं। उनके सम्बन्धमें तुम सदा ऐसे ही समाचार देते हो
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca |
hīnān puruṣakāreṇa māmakān adya sañjaya |
pātitān pātyamānāṁś ca hatān eva ca śaṁsasi, sañjaya ||
持国王说道:“三阇耶,如今你禀报我儿之众缺乏男子之奋勇。你说他们已被击倒、正在被击倒,几与已死无异。日复一日,他们死于敌手——而你带给我的总是同样凄冷的噩耗。”
धृतराष्ट उवाच
The verse highlights the tension between puruṣakāra (human effort/valor) and the crushing momentum of war: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s attachment makes him fixate on reports of defeat, revealing how grief and partiality distort judgment and keep one trapped in repetitive, painful narratives.
Dhṛtarāṣṭra reacts to Sañjaya’s battlefield report, complaining that Sañjaya keeps describing the Kaurava side as lacking valor and as being continually felled and slain by the enemy, day after day.