Shloka 18
Abhimanyu’s Śrāddha; Vyāsa’s Assurance of the Unborn Heir (अभिमन्योः श्राद्धं तथा गर्भरक्षणोपदेशः)
एको होकेन सतत युध्यमाने यदि प्रभो
eko hokena satata yudhyamāne yadi prabho
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O lord, if one man is found continually engaged in fighting…,”—a remark that frames the moral tension between solitary valor and the relentless demands of battle, hinting that even heroic persistence must be weighed against rightful conduct and the larger order of dharma.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line foregrounds a dharmic question: continuous fighting and solitary heroism are not automatically virtuous; they must be evaluated in light of rightful purpose, proportionality, and the broader moral order that governs warfare.
Vaiśaṃpāyana, as narrator, introduces or continues a conditional statement addressed to a ‘lord’ (prabho), setting up a discussion about a situation where a single warrior is constantly engaged in combat—likely as a prelude to judging conduct, outcome, or duty in that scenario.