Shloka 29
Pradyumna–Śālva Missile-Exchange at Saubha (Āraṇyaka Parva, Adhyāya 18)
त्यक्त्वा रणमिमं सौते पृष्ठतो5भ्याहतः शरै: । त्वयापनीतो विवशो न जीवेयं कथंचन,“'सूतपुत्र! तेरे द्वारा रणसे दूर लाया हुआ मैं इस युद्धको छोड़कर और पीठपर बाणोंकी चोट खाकर विवशतापूर्ण जीवन किसी प्रकार भी नहीं धारण करूँगा
tyaktvā raṇam imaṁ saute pṛṣṭhato 'bhyāhataḥ śaraiḥ | tvayāpanīto vivaśo na jīveyaṁ kathaṁcana ||
قال فايُو: «يا ابن السائق، إن تركتُ هذه المعركة—وقد جررتني عنها قسرًا—ثم أُصبتُ بسهامٍ من الخلف، فلن أقبل، تحت أي حال، أن أعيش في ذلٍّ عاجز كهذا. فالموت خيرٌ من حياةٍ تُستبقى بعد أن يُولّى ظهرُ القتال.»
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts an honor-based ethic of warfare: to be forced to withdraw and then be wounded from behind is experienced as intolerable disgrace; one should not cling to life at the cost of abandoning one’s duty and dignity in battle.
Vāyu addresses a ‘sūtaputra’ (charioteer’s son), protesting that being pulled away from the fight against his will would leave him exposed to arrows from behind; he declares he would rather die than live after such a compelled retreat.