Shloka 8
स तदा तद् वच: श्रुत्वा धर्मराजस्य धीमतः । तान् निवर्तध्वमित्याह न न्यवर्तन्त चापि ते,बुद्धिमान् धर्मरमाजके इस आदेशको सुनकर उसका पालन करते हुए ही अर्जुनने त्रिगर्तोंकी लौट जानेकी आज्ञा दी तथापि वे नहीं लौटे
sa tadā tad vacaḥ śrutvā dharmarājasya dhīmataḥ | tān nivartadhvam ity āha na nyavartanta cāpi te ||
Hearing at that time the words of the wise Dharmarāja, he said to them, “Turn back.” Yet they did not turn back. The passage underscores the ethical weight of a righteous command and the moral disorder that appears when it is refused.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A command grounded in dharma carries ethical authority; refusing to desist after such counsel signals adharma and invites further conflict.
After hearing Dharmarāja’s words, the speaker reports that an order was given to the opposing party to withdraw, but they did not comply and continued their course.