Shloka 1263
भीमसेनस्य कौरवसुतवधः तथा श्रुतर्वावधः
Slaying of Kaurava princes and the fall of Śrutarvā
पुत्रानन्ये पितृनन्ये पुनर्युद्धभरोचयन् । भरतश्रेष्ठ! दूसरे लोग स्वयं पानी पीकर घोड़ोंकी भी थकावट दूर करते। उसके बाद कवच धारण करके लड़नेके लिये जाते थे। अन्य बहुत-से सैनिक अपने घायल बन्धुओं, पुत्रों और पिताओंको आश्वासन दे उन्हें शिविरमें रख आते। उसके बाद युद्धमें मन लगाते थे
putrān anye pitṝn anye punar yuddha-bharocayan | bharataśreṣṭha! dvitīye (anye) lokāḥ svayaṃ pānīyaṃ pītvā aśvānām api thakāvataṃ dūrīkurvanti sma | tataḥ kavacaṃ dhārayitvā yoddhuṃ gacchanti sma | anye bahavaḥ sainikāḥ sva-ghāyita-bandhūn putrān pitṝṃś ca āśvāsya teṣāṃ śibire niveśya, tataḥ yuddhe manaḥ kurvanti sma ||
Sañjaya said: “O best of the Bharatas, some men turned their attention again to the burden of battle—some thinking of their sons, others of their fathers. Others, after drinking water themselves, also relieved the weariness of their horses; then, donning their armor, they went forth to fight. Many soldiers, having comforted their wounded kinsmen—brothers, sons, and fathers—left them safely in the camp, and only then fixed their minds upon the battle.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even amid war, dharma expresses itself through restraint and care: soldiers attend to basic needs (water, rest), show compassion to wounded kin, and only then return to their duty. The passage highlights that ethical conduct and humaneness are not suspended by conflict.
Sanjaya describes the battlefield aftermath and preparation: some warriors, thinking of sons or fathers, reorient themselves to fighting; others drink water and refresh their horses; many console wounded relatives and leave them in the camp, then refocus their minds on returning to combat.