Shloka 16
धृष्टद्युम्नं च समरे हन्ताहं पापकारिणम् | कर्मणा येन तेनेह मृदुना दारुणेन च
dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ ca samare hantāhaṃ pāpakāriṇam | karmaṇā yena teneha mṛdunā dāruṇena ca
Sañjaya said: “In the battle I shall slay Dhṛṣṭadyumna, that doer of sin—by whatever deed is required here, whether it be gentle in means or harsh.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension of war: a vow to achieve a goal “by any means,” even oscillating between gentle and harsh methods. It implicitly raises the dharmic question of whether ends justify means, especially when driven by anger and the labeling of an opponent as “pāpakārin” (evil-doer).
Sañjaya reports a combatant’s resolve regarding Dhṛṣṭadyumna: in the midst of battle, the speaker declares an intention to kill him, employing whatever strategy is effective—whether mild or severe—reflecting escalating hostility and the ruthless pragmatics of the Kurukṣetra war.