Mahabharata — Shalya Parva, Shloka 8
Śalya–Bhīma Gadā-saṃnipāta and Śalya’s Bāṇa-jāla against Yudhiṣṭhira
Book 9, Chapter 11
लब्धलक्षा: परे राजन् रक्षितास्तु महात्मना | अयोधयंस्तव बल मृत्युं कृत्वा निवर्तनम्
sañjaya uvāca | labdhalakṣāḥ pare rājan rakṣitās tu mahātmanā | ayodhayans tava balaṃ mṛtyuṃ kṛtvā nivartanam rājan |
三阇耶说道：“大王啊，那些敌方武士——箭无虚发，又受大魂阿周那护持——与王军交战，立誓唯有死亡才是退却的界限。旭日初升之时，战斗愈发惨烈；他们奋力推进，以加深怯者的恐惧，宁取战场之荣，不肯后退。”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness: warriors, confident in skill and supported by a great leader, treat retreat as unthinkable and accept death as the boundary. Ethically, it frames courage and commitment in battle as a chosen duty, contrasting it with the fear of the faint-hearted.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the opposing fighters—protected by Arjuna and skilled in marksmanship—attacked the Kaurava forces at sunrise with intense resolve, fighting as if death were the only permissible end, thereby increasing panic among timid soldiers.
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