Shloka 46
भीष्मरथाभिमुख्यं — Arjuna’s advance with Śikhaṇḍin; Duḥśāsana’s interception
न हि पाण्डुसुता राजन् ससैन्या: सपदानुगा: । रक्षन्ति समरे प्राणान् कौरवा वापि संयुगे
na hi pāṇḍusutā rājan sasainyāḥ sapadānugāḥ | rakṣanti samare prāṇān kauravā vāpi saṁyuge ||
Sañjaya dit : Ô roi, ni les fils de Pāṇḍu—avec leurs troupes et leurs suivants—ni les Kaurava, dans cette bataille, ne cherchent à préserver leur vie. Ayant rejeté l’attachement à l’existence, ils combattent dans le fracas des armes.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a battlefield ethic of renouncing clinging to life: both sides fight with resolve, not prioritizing self-preservation. It reflects the kṣatriya ideal of facing death without fear when duty and honor demand combat.
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the combatants—Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas alike—are fully committed to the fight, along with their armies and followers, and are not acting as if their primary aim is to save their own lives.