Shloka 13
आर्जुन–गन्धर्वसंवादः
Arjuna–Gandharva Dialogue on Honor, Night-Power, and Purohita-Nīti
अथवाहं करिष्यामि कुलस्यास्य विमोचनम् | फलसंस्था भविष्यामि कृत्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम्,“अथवा मैं अपनेको मृत्युके मुखमें डालकर इस कुलको संकटसे छुड़ाऊँगी। यह अत्यन्त दुष्कर कर्म कर लेनेसे मेरी मृत्यु सफल हो जायगी
athavāhaṁ kariṣyāmi kulasyāsya vimocanam | phalasaṁsthā bhaviṣyāmi kṛtvā karma suduṣkaram ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Oder aber ich selbst werde die Befreiung dieses Geschlechts bewirken. Indem ich eine überaus schwere Tat vollbringe, werde ich meinem Tod Sinn verleihen — ich werde mich dem Rachen des Todes darbieten, damit diese Familie aus ihrer Gefahr erlöst werde.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a dharmic ideal of taking personal responsibility in a time of collective danger: one may choose even extreme self-sacrifice so that the family/lineage is protected and one’s life (and death) becomes ‘fruitful’ through a difficult but purposeful act.
A speaker, as reported by Vaiśampāyana, declares a resolve: if necessary, they will undertake an exceptionally difficult deed, even risking death, to free their family/lineage from an impending संकट (danger/crisis).