Shloka 14
Bhīmasena’s Discourse on Kāla, Resolve, and the Feasibility of Ajñātavāsa (भीमसेनस्य कालोपदेशः)
दुर्योधनेन ते वीरा मानिताश्व विशेषतः । प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्यन्ति संग्रामे इति मे निश्चिता मति:ः,इतना ही नहीं, दुर्योधनने उन वीरोंका विशेष आदर-सत्कार भी किया है। अतः मेरा यह विश्वास है कि वे उसके लिये संग्राममें (हँसते-हँसते) प्राण दे देंगे
duryodhanena te vīrā mānitāś ca viśeṣataḥ | prāṇāṁs tyakṣyanti saṅgrāme iti me niścitā matiḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Those heroes have been especially honored and treated with distinction by Duryodhana. Therefore I am firmly convinced that, for his sake, they will abandon their very lives in battle.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Yudhiṣṭhira highlights how honor and patronage create powerful bonds of loyalty: when a leader publicly respects and rewards warriors, they may feel morally and socially bound to repay that debt even at the cost of their lives—raising ethical questions about duty, gratitude, and the manipulation of allegiance.
In the Vana Parva context, Yudhiṣṭhira assesses the political-military situation and expresses his firm belief that certain warriors, having received special honor from Duryodhana, will fight for him with unwavering commitment, even to death.