Shloka 48
उत्पातवर्णनम् (Utpāta-varṇanam) — Catalogue of Portents
राजान: क्षत्रधर्मेण यदि वध्यन्ति संयुगे । वीरलोकं समासाद्य सुखं प्राप्स्पन्ति केवलम्,“यदि राजालोग क्षत्रियधर्मके अनुसार युद्धमें मारे जायँगे तो वीरलोकको प्राप्त होकर केवल सुखके भागी होंगे
rājānaḥ kṣatradharmeṇa yadi vadhyanti saṃyuge | vīralokaṃ samāsādya sukhaṃ prāpsyanti kevalam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: If kings, adhering to the warrior’s duty, are slain in battle, then upon reaching the heroes’ realm they attain nothing but happiness.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts that for rulers who follow kṣatriya-dharma, being killed in a righteous battle is not viewed as moral failure but as a duty-fulfilled death that leads to the vīraloka, a state characterized by happiness.
Vaiśampāyana, narrating the events around the Kurukṣetra conflict, articulates the traditional warrior ethic: kings who fall in combat while upholding their martial duty are said to reach the heroes’ realm and enjoy bliss.