Shloka 23
Chapter 47: Krauñca-vyūha Deployment and Conch-Signals
Kaurava–Pāṇḍava Readiness
श्रूयते हि पुराकल्पे गुरूनननुमान्य यः । युध्यते स भवेद् व्यक्तमपध्यातो महत्तरै:
śrūyate hi purākalpe gurūn ananumānya yaḥ | yudhyate sa bhaved vyaktam apadhyāto mahattaraiḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “It is indeed heard from ancient tradition that one who enters battle without first seeking the consent of his elders and teachers is clearly regarded as fallen from propriety in the eyes of the venerable.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in warfare, dharma requires deference to legitimate authority: one should not take up battle on one’s own impulse but seek the sanction of elders/teachers; otherwise one incurs moral censure and loss of standing among the wise.
Sañjaya invokes an old, well-known precedent to frame the ethical norms of fighting—reminding that acting without the approval of revered seniors was traditionally condemned—thereby commenting on proper conduct amid the unfolding war.