Shloka 2
यो हि तेजो यथाशक्ति न दर्शयति विक्रमात् । क्षत्रियो जीविताकाडुक्षी स्तेन इत्येव तं विदु:,जो क्षत्रिय अपने जीवनके लोभसे यथाशक्ति पराक्रम प्रकट करके अपने तेजका परिचय नहीं देता है, उसे सब लोग चोर मानते हैं
yo hi tejo yathāśakti na darśayati vikramāt | kṣatriyo jīvitākāṅkṣī stena ity eva taṃ viduḥ ||
For a kṣatriya, if—out of craving to preserve his own life—he does not, to the best of his ability, display his valor and make his martial splendor known through courageous action, people regard him as nothing but a thief. The verse frames cowardice born of self-preservation as a moral theft: a failure to render the duty and honor expected of the warrior estate.
पुत्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
A kṣatriya must manifest courage and capability in accordance with his strength; clinging to life at the cost of valor is condemned as a kind of moral theft—stealing honor, duty, and rightful reputation.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war counsel and exhortation, the speaker (the son) articulates a strict warrior ethic: failure to display valor due to fear of death brings social and moral disgrace, equating such conduct with being a ‘thief’ in the eyes of others.