Shloka 20
Adhyāya 35 — Bhīmasena’s Counter-Encirclement and the Karṇa Engagement Escalation
गृहाण धर्मराजं वा जहि वा त्वं धनंजयम्
gṛhāṇa dharmarājaṃ vā jahi vā tvaṃ dhanañjayam
“হয় ধর্মরাজ (যুধিষ্ঠির)-কে বন্দী করো, নয়তো তুমি, ধনঞ্জয় (অর্জুন), তাকে বধ করো।”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral calculus of war: even when dharma is invoked, outcomes are pursued through coercion—either non-lethal domination (capturing the righteous king) or outright killing. It exposes the tension between ethical ideals and battlefield imperatives.
Sañjaya, narrating the battle to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, reports a forceful directive aimed at deciding the war’s course: target Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira) for capture, or have Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) be slain—an urgent tactical demand centered on key leaders.