Shloka 45
Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava
इति तत् कुरु कौन्तेय सत्यं वाक्यमरिंदम । बीभत्सो पश्य सैन्यं स्वं भज्यमानं ततस्ततः
iti tat kuru kaunteya satyaṁ vākyam ariṁdama | bībhatsaḥ paśya sainyaṁ svaṁ bhajyamānaṁ tatastataḥ ||
Sañjaya dit : «Ainsi donc, ô fils de Kuntī, dompteur des ennemis, rends ta parole véridique. Ô Bībhatsu, regarde : ta propre armée est brisée et dispersée de toutes parts.»
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
A warrior’s spoken pledge carries ethical weight: one must strive to make one’s word true, especially when duty and the welfare of one’s side are at stake. The verse uses the ideal of satya (truthfulness/keeping one’s vow) as a moral impetus in a moment of battlefield collapse.
Sanjaya reports an urgent exhortation directed at Arjuna: fulfill your earlier declaration and look at the immediate reality—your own forces are being shattered and fleeing in different directions—so decisive action is demanded.