Shloka 446
शल्यपरिघातः (Śalya Under Encirclement) — Mahābhārata, Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 12
स्वर्गसंसक्तमनसो योधा युयुधिरे तदा । सभी योद्धा स्वामीके दिये हुए अन्नके ऋणसे उऋण होनेके लिये उनके कार्यको सिद्ध करनेका दृढ़ निश्चय किये मनमें स्वर्गकी अभिलाषा रखकर उस समय उत्साहपूर्वक युद्ध कर रहे थे
svargasaṃsaktamanaso yodhā yuyudhire tadā | sabhī yoddhā svāmike diye hue annake ṛṇase uṛṇa honeke liye unke kāryako siddha karanekā dṛḍha niścaya kiye manameṃ svargakī abhilāṣā rakhakar us samaya utsāhapūrvak yuddha kara rahe the
Sañjaya said: Then the warriors, their minds fixed on heaven, fought on. All those fighters, resolved to repay the debt of the food given by their lord and to accomplish his purpose, waged the battle with ardor, bearing the desire for heaven in their hearts.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a warrior-ethic where loyalty and obligation to one’s patron (symbolized by having eaten the lord’s food) becomes a binding debt, repaid through steadfast service in battle; it also shows how the pursuit of svarga (heaven) can shape intention and courage, blending duty, reciprocity, and afterlife-oriented motivation.
Sañjaya describes the fighters continuing the battle with high spirits. They are portrayed as firmly resolved to fulfill their lord’s objective and to discharge their obligation for the sustenance and patronage they received, fighting with their minds set on attaining heaven.