Shloka 14
अध्याय ४ — दुर्योधनस्य असंधि-निश्चयः
Duryodhana’s Refusal of Reconciliation
वयं त्विह विना भूता गुणवद्धिर्महारथै: । कृपणं वर्तयिष्याम पातयित्वा नृपान् बहून्ू
vayaṁ tv iha vinā bhūtā guṇavaddhir mahārathaiḥ | kṛpaṇaṁ vartayiṣyāma pātayitvā nṛpān bahūn ||
Sañjaya said: “Here we are now left bereft of the support of those virtuous great chariot-warriors—Bhīṣma and the rest. Having caused many kings to fall, we must go on in a pitiable condition.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral and emotional aftermath of war: even after achieving battlefield outcomes, the loss of noble allies and the weight of having caused widespread death leave survivors diminished and pitiable, highlighting the ethical cost of violence.
Sañjaya reflects on the Kaurava side’s weakened state: they are now without the support of eminent warriors like Bhīṣma, and despite having brought down many kings, they find themselves forced to continue the struggle in misery.