अल्पायां वा महत्यां वा सेनायाम् इति निश्चितम् ॥
हर्षो योधगणस्यैकं जयलक्षणम् उच्यते ॥
एको दीर्णो दारयति सेनां सुमहतीम् अपि ॥
तं दीर्णम् अनुदीर्यन्ते योधाः शूरतमा अपि ॥
दुर्निवारतमा चैव प्रभग्ना महती चमूः ॥
अपाम् इव महावेगस् त्रस्ता मृगगणा इव ॥
नैव शक्या समाधातुं संनिपाते महाचमूः ॥
दीर्णा इत्य् एव दीर्यन्ते योधाः शूरतमा अपि ॥
भीतान् भग्नांश् च संप्रेक्ष्य भयं भूयो विवर्धते ॥
प्रभग्ना सहसा राजन् दिशो विभ्रामिता परैः ॥
नैव स्थापयितुं शक्या शूरैर् अपि महाचमूः ॥
संभृत्य महतीं सेनां चतुरङ्गां महीपतिः ॥
उपायपूर्वं मेधावी यतेत सततोत्थितः ॥
उपायविजयं श्रेष्ठम् आहुर् भेदेन मध्यमम् ॥
जघन्य एष विजयो यो युद्धेन विशां पते ॥
महादोषः संनिपातस् ततो व्यङ्गः स उच्यते ॥
परस्परज्ञाः संहृष्टा व्यवधूताः सुनिश्चिताः ॥
पञ्चाशद् अपि ये शूरा मथ्नन्ति महतीं चमूम् ॥
अथ वा पञ्च षट् सप्त विजयन्त्य् अनिवर्तिनः ॥
न वैनतेयो गरुडः प्रशंसति महाजनम् ॥
दृष्ट्वा सुपर्णोपचितिं महतीम् अपि भारत ॥
न बाहुल्येन सेनाया जयो भवति भारत ॥
अध्रुवो हि जयो नाम दैवं चात्र परायणम् ॥
जयन्तो ह्य् अपि संग्रामे क्षयवन्तो भवन्त्य् उत ॥
alpāyāṃ vā mahatyāṃ vā senāyām iti niścitam ||
harṣo yodhagaṇasyaikaṃ jayalakṣaṇam ucyate ||
eko dīrṇo dārayati senāṃ sumahatīm api ||
taṃ dīrṇam anudīryante yodhāḥ śūratamā api ||
durnivāratamā caiva prabhagnā mahatī camūḥ ||
apām iva mahāvegas trastā mṛgagaṇā iva ||
naiva śakyā samādhātuṃ saṃnipāte mahācamūḥ ||
dīrṇā ity eva dīryante yodhāḥ śūratamā api ||
bhītān bhagnāṃś ca saṃprekṣya bhayaṃ bhūyo vivardhate ||
prabhagnā sahasā rājan diśo vibhrāmitā paraiḥ ||
naiva sthāpayituṃ śakyā śūrair api mahācamūḥ ||
saṃbhṛtya mahatīṃ senāṃ caturaṅgāṃ mahīpatiḥ ||
upāyapūrvaṃ medhāvī yateta satatotthitaḥ ||
upāyavijayaṃ śreṣṭham āhur bhedena madhyamam ||
jaghanya eṣa vijayo yo yuddhena viśāṃ pate ||
mahādoṣaḥ saṃnipātas tato vyaṅgaḥ sa ucyate ||
parasparajñāḥ saṃhṛṣṭā vyavadhūtāḥ suniścitāḥ ||
pañcāśad api ye śūrā mathnanti mahatīṃ camūm ||
atha vā pañca ṣaṭ sapta vijayanty anivartinaḥ ||
na vainateyo garuḍaḥ praśaṃsati mahājanam ||
dṛṣṭvā suparṇopacitiṃ mahatīm api bhārata ||
na bāhulyena senāyā jayo bhavati bhārata ||
adhruvo hi jayo nāma daivaṃ cātra parāyaṇam ||
jayanto hy api saṃgrāme kṣayavanto bhavanty uta ||
It is established that in a small or a great army, one is the chief sign of victory: the high spirit of the assembled warriors. A single warrior who has broken can shatter even a very great host; following him, even the bravest fighters break. A great army once routed is hardest of all to hold together: it is like a mighty torrent of water, or like herds of frightened beasts. In a general clash, a great army, once broken through, cannot easily be gathered again; thinking 'it is broken,' even the bravest warriors give way. Seeing others frightened and routed, fear grows still greater. O king, if a great host is suddenly broken and the enemy scatters it in every direction, not even heroes can stop it. Therefore a wise king, having gathered a great fourfold army, must act continually, applying stratagems first of all. Victory by strategy is called the best, victory by division the middling one; the worst victory, O lord of peoples, is the one won by war. Frontal battle carries a great flaw, and for that it is called defective. Even fifty heroes who know one another, full of spirit, having shaken off fear and firmly resolved, can crush a great army; or even five, six, or seven unyielding warriors prevail. O Bharata, Vainateya Garuda does not praise a great multitude, even when he sees a vast gathering of birds. O Bharata, victory does not come from the multitude of an army: victory is unstable, and here the final refuge is fate. Even the victors suffer losses in battle."
72db0912c6c6 · प्रकाशित 17 जुल॰ 2026, 8:37:17 pm UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Vyasa's conclusion is sober and martial: numbers alone do not decide the outcome. What matters most is spirit, order, mutual understanding, strategy, and freedom from panic. At the same time, he ranks war below other means of victory, because even a battle that is won brings loss. This again returns Dhritarashtra to responsibility, rather than to blind hope in the strength of an army.