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 ||
三阇耶说道：“婆罗多啊，他将那希望牢牢系于心中，并在战阵之中依凭那位强大的车战勇士——摩陀罗之王——于是便据此定下行止。”
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.