Shloka 14
द्रोणकर्णयोः निशि संप्रहारः — Night Engagement with Droṇa and Karṇa
सैन्धवे रक्ष्यमाणे तु सूर्यस्यास्तमन प्रति । मिथ्याप्रतिज्ञ: कौन्तेयः प्रवेक्ष्यति हुताशनम्,'सूर्यास्त होनेतक यदि सिंधुराज सुरक्षित रहे तो प्रतिज्ञा झूठी होनेके कारण अर्जुन अग्निमें प्रवेश कर जायँगे
saindhave rakṣyamāṇe tu sūryasyāstamanaṃ prati | mithyāpratijñaḥ kaunteyaḥ pravekṣyati hutāśanam ||
Sañjaya said: “If the king of Sindhu is kept protected until the sun sets, then the son of Kuntī—his vow having proved false—will enter the fire.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral seriousness of a publicly declared vow (pratijñā) in kṣatriya culture: truthfulness and honor are treated as binding, and failure is framed as demanding severe atonement. Speech is not merely strategic; it creates ethical obligation.
Sañjaya reports the consequence tied to Arjuna’s vow: if Jayadratha (the Saindhava) remains protected until sunset, Arjuna’s pledge will be falsified, and he is said to resolve to enter fire. The statement intensifies the urgency of the battle around Jayadratha before day’s end.