Shloka 16
Aśvatthāmā’s Buddhi-Doctrine and Nocturnal Incursion Resolve (अश्वत्थाम्नः बुद्धिविचारः सौप्तिकसंकल्पश्च)
सर्वे हि बुद्धिमाज्ञाय प्रज्ञां वापि स्वकां नरा: । चेष्टन्ते विविधां चेष्टां हितमित्येव जानते,“सब लोग अपनी ही बुद्धि अथवा विवेकका आश्रय लेकर तरह-तरहकी चेष्टाएँ करते हैं और उन्हें अपने लिये हितकर ही समझते हैं
sarve hi buddhim ājñāya prajñāṃ vāpi svakāṃ narāḥ | ceṣṭante vividhāṃ ceṣṭāṃ hitam ity eva jānate ||
Sañjaya said: “For all men, relying on their own understanding—or on what they take to be their discernment—set about actions of many kinds, and they regard those actions as beneficial to themselves alone.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
People typically act on the basis of their own intellect or supposed discernment, and they tend to label their chosen actions as ‘beneficial’—often without testing that belief against broader dharma, consequences, or the welfare of others.
Sañjaya offers a reflective observation about human motivation and decision-making in the aftermath of the war, framing how individuals justify diverse actions as being for their own good.