Shloka 48
अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः
Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve
पतड्डग्निसमां वृत्तिमास्थायात्मविनाशिनीम् । न्यायतो युध्यमानस्य प्राणत्यागो न संशय:
pataṅgāgnisamāṁ vṛttim āsthāyātmavināśinīm | nyāyato yudhyamānasya prāṇatyāgo na saṁśayaḥ ||
Assuming a course of action like a moth’s plunge into fire—one that brings about my own destruction—there is no doubt: if I fight in accordance with justice and the rules of war, I will have to give up my life.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between a destructive resolve and righteous conduct: choosing to fight by nyāya (justice and proper rules) may demand the ultimate personal cost, yet it is presented as morally certain and binding.
A speaker reflects that the path he has taken is like a moth rushing into fire—self-ruinous—and concludes that if he adheres to fair, rule-bound combat, his death is inevitable.