Shloka 41
Bhagadattā’s Deployment Against Ghaṭotkaca; Elephant-Corps Escalation
समयश्न मया पूर्व कृतो वै शत्रुकर्शन । नाहं युधि नियोक्तव्यो नाप्याचार्य: कथंचन,'शत्रुसूदन! मैंने पहले ही यह निश्चय प्रकट कर दिया था कि तुम्हें मुझे या द्रोणाचार्यको युद्धमें किसी प्रकार भी नहीं लगाना चाहिये (क्योंकि हमलोगोंका कौरवों तथा पाण्डवोंके प्रति समान स्नेह है)
saṃjaya uvāca | samayaś ca mayā pūrvaṃ kṛto vai śatrukarśana | nāhaṃ yudhi niyoktavyo nāpy ācāryaḥ kathaṃcana |
Sañjaya said: “O subduer of foes, I had already declared this resolve long ago: I should not be appointed to fight in this war, nor should the Teacher (Droṇa) be employed in any way. The ground of dharma is plain—those who bear equal affection toward both sides ought not be compelled into partisan violence.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
A person who maintains equal goodwill toward both parties should not be forced into partisan warfare; ethical restraint and prior vows/agreements (samaya) matter in deciding one’s role in conflict.
Sañjaya reports a prior declaration: he (and likewise the preceptor Droṇa) should not be assigned to fight, emphasizing that their stance is grounded in an earlier resolve and in impartial affection toward both the Kauravas and the Pāṇḍavas.