Shloka 18
रावणवधोत्तरं विभीषणशोकः—क्षत्रधर्मोपदेशः
Vibhishana’s Lament after Ravana’s Fall; Instruction on Kshatriya-Dharma
नैकान्तविजयोयुद्धेभूतपूर्वःकदाचन ।परैराहन्यतेवीरःपरान्वाहन्तिसंयुगे ।।।।
naikāntavijayo yuddhe bhūtapūrvaḥ kadācana |
parair āhanyate vīraḥ parān vā hanti saṃyuge ||
Im Krieg hat es niemals, zu irgendeiner Zeit, einen sicheren, einseitigen Sieg gegeben. In der Schlacht kann der Held den Feind niederstrecken, oder er wird selbst vom Feind niedergestreckt.
"Not only that, in war, he will only will be victorious is not true now or before. Hero may kill the enemy or will be killed by the enemy."
FAQs
Kṣātra-dharma: war has inherent uncertainty; one must accept risk and outcome without clinging to guaranteed victory.
After a major warrior’s fall in the war at Laṅkā, counsel is given to frame the event as a natural consequence of battle rather than an anomaly.
Steadfast realism and composure—seeing war’s outcomes as contingent, and not as grounds for uncontrolled grief or pride.