सुमहाञ् शब्दसंपातः कौरवाणां महाभुज ॥
आसीन् नागाश्वपत्तीनां रथघोषश् च भैरवः ॥
अभिमन्युवधं श्रुत्वा ध्रुवम् आर्तो धनंजयः ॥
रात्रौ निर्यास्यति क्रोधाद् इति मत्वा व्यवस्थिताः ॥
तैर् यतद्भिर् इयं सत्या श्रुता सत्यवतस् तव ॥
प्रतिज्ञा सिन्धुराजस्य वधे राजीवलोचन ॥
sumahāñ śabdasaṃpātaḥ kauravāṇāṃ mahābhuja ||
āsīn nāgāśvapattīnāṃ rathaghoṣaś ca bhairavaḥ ||
abhimanyuvadhaṃ śrutvā dhruvam ārto dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
rātrau niryāsyati krodhād iti matvā vyavasthitāḥ ||
tair yatadbhir iyaṃ satyā śrutā satyavatas tava ||
pratijñā sindhurājasya vadhe rājīvalocana ||
"A most great roar of the Kauravas arose, O mighty-armed, from elephants, horses, and foot, and the fearsome din of chariots. Reasoning, 'Hearing of Abhimanyu's death, surely sorrowing Dhananjaya will go forth in wrath by night,' they stood on guard. By them, thus on guard, was heard this true vow of yours, the truthful one — the oath to kill the king of Sindhu, O lotus-eyed one."
cac26a25f27a · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:36:52 PM UTC
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The enemy now knows both the vow and the character of the one who made it: "satyavataḥ tava… satyā pratijñā" — Arjuna's word is true, and they believe it, and so "vyavasthitāḥ", they made ready. Krishna does not conceal the difficulty: there is no secret, no surprise, and the whole strength of the enemy is raised against Arjuna. It is significant that Arjuna's very truthfulness here turns against the ease of the task — yet that same truthfulness also makes the vow irrevocable. The verse teaches that a righteous man's reputation cuts two ways: the enemy fears his word and so prepares doubly; but that same faithfulness to his word will not let him turn back from it either.