Shloka 183
धृतराष्ट्र–संजय संवादः: कर्ण–घटोत्कचयोर्निशायुद्धवर्णनम्
Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Sañjaya Dialogue: Description of the Night Engagement of Karṇa and Ghaṭotkaca
तस्माद् वध्यो5सि मे मूढ सभृत्यसुतबान्धव: । “दुर्मते! मूढ़! तूने अपने विनाशके लिये अभिमन्युका धनुष काट दिया था, अतः मेरे द्वारा भृत्य, पुत्र तथा वन्धु-बान्धवोंसहित प्राणदण्ड पानेयोग्य है
tasmād vadhyo 'si me mūḍha sabhṛtya-suta-bāndhavaḥ |
Sañjaya said: “Therefore, you are fit to be slain by me, O fool—together with your attendants, your sons, and your kinsmen.” The line frames the act as retributive justice in the heat of war: a moral condemnation (“mūḍha”) coupled with a vow of punishment extending to one’s supporting circle, reflecting the brutal escalation and collective consequences typical of the Kurukṣetra conflict.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse expresses a wartime ethic of retribution: wrongdoing is met with decisive punishment, and moral blame (“mūḍha”) is used to justify lethal action. It also reflects the harsh idea of collective consequence—extending hostility to one’s supporters and kin—showing how dharma becomes strained and weaponized in total war.
Sañjaya reports a speaker’s threat of execution: the addressed opponent is declared ‘worthy to be slain,’ and the threat is broadened to include the opponent’s attendants, sons, and relatives. It signals escalating vengeance and the widening scope of enmity on the battlefield.