Shloka 22
भीष्मसेनापत्याभिषेकः
Bhīṣma’s Appointment as Commander-in-Chief
कथं ह्ावध्यै: संग्राम: कार्य: सह भविष्यति । कथं हत्वा गुरून् वृद्धान् विजयो नो भविष्यति,“जो लोग मारने योग्य नहीं हैं, उनके साथ युद्ध करना कैसे उचित होगा? वृद्ध गुरुजनोंका वध करके हमें विजय किस प्रकार प्राप्त होगी?
kathaṁ hy avadhyaiḥ saṅgrāmaḥ kāryaḥ saha bhaviṣyati | kathaṁ hatvā gurūn vṛddhān vijayo no bhaviṣyati ||
“যিসকলক বধ কৰা উচিত নহয়, তেওঁলোকৰ সৈতে যুদ্ধ কৰা কেনেকৈ ন্যায়সঙ্গত হ’ব? আৰু বৃদ্ধ গুৰুবৃন্দক বধ কৰি আমাৰ বিজয় কেনেকৈ হ’ব?”
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when war seems politically necessary, dharma demands moral scrutiny: fighting those deemed ‘avadhya’ (not fit to be slain), especially revered elders and teachers, undermines the legitimacy of victory and stains it with ethical fault.
In the Udyoga Parva’s lead-up to the Kurukṣetra war, the speaker voices a grave hesitation: the opposing side includes elders and gurus, and the prospect of killing them raises the question of whether such a war can be righteous and whether any resulting ‘victory’ can be meaningful.