Mahabharata 9.63.41 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 63, Shloka 41
Duryodhana’s Post-Duel Lament and Instructions (भग्नसक्थस्य विलापः)
यतितं पाण्डवै: सर्वैस्तव चित्तानुरोधिभि: । कथं कुलक्षयो न स्यात्तथा क्षत्रस्थ भारत
yatitaṃ pāṇḍavaiḥ sarvais tava cittānurodhibhiḥ | kathaṃ kulakṣayo na syāt tathā kṣatrastha bhārata ||
વૈશંપાયન બોલ્યા— “હે ભારત! બધા પાંડવો સદા તમારા મનને અનુરૂપ વર્તન કરનારા છે. અમારા કુલનો ક્ષય અને ક્ષત્રિયવર્ગનો વિનાશ ન થાય એ માટે તેમણે અત્યંત પ્રયત્ન કર્યો।”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even when war becomes imminent, ethical responsibility includes sincere effort to prevent outcomes that destroy lineage (kula) and destabilize the kṣatriya social order (kṣatra). The verse underscores that moral accountability is tied not only to action in battle but also to prior attempts at restraint and reconciliation.
Vaiśaṃpāyana addresses a Bhārata (a Kuru elder/descendant), stating that the Pāṇḍavas acted in line with his wishes and made strong efforts to avert the catastrophic consequences of conflict—namely, the annihilation of the family line and the broader ruin of the warrior class.
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