Shloka 4
अदारा-नीति
Crisis Composure) and ‘Jaya’ Śravaṇa (Morale-Instruction
किमाभरणकृत्येन कि भोगैर्जीवितेन वा । मयि वा संगरहते प्रियपुत्रे विशेषत:,मैं विशेषतः तेरा प्रिय पुत्र यदि युद्धमें मारा जाऊँ तो तुझे आभूषणोंसे, भोग- सामग्रियोंसे तथा अपने जीवनसे भी कौन-सा सुख प्राप्त होगा?
kim ābharaṇakṛtyena kiṁ bhogair jīvitena vā | mayi vā saṅgrahate priyaputre viśeṣataḥ ||
The son said: “What use will ornaments be to you, or pleasures, or even life itself, if I—your beloved son above all—am slain in the battle? If I fall, these possessions and enjoyments will lose their meaning, for the dearest bond that gives them value will be gone.”
पुत्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how worldly goods—ornaments, pleasures, even one’s own continued life—can become meaningless when the dearest relationship is lost. It underscores the ethical and emotional cost of war and the fragility of value grounded in attachment.
In the Udyoga Parva’s war-preparation context, the son addresses a parent, arguing that if he is killed in battle, the parent will gain no real happiness from wealth, enjoyment, or survival itself—thus stressing the personal stakes behind the impending conflict.