Shloka 28
भीमसेन–अलायुधयुद्धम् / Bhīmasena and Alāyudha: Night Engagement and Command Responses
सो<हं तत्र गमिष्यामि यत्र ते पुरुषर्षभा: | हता मदर्थ संग्रामे युध्यमाना: किरीटिना,वे पुरुषशिरोमणि सुहृद् रणभूमिमें मेरे लिये युद्ध करते-करते अर्जुनके हाथसे मारे जाकर जिन लोकोंमें गये हैं, वहीं मैं भी जाऊँगा
so ’haṁ tatra gamiṣyāmi yatra te puruṣarṣabhāḥ | hatā mad-artha-saṅgrāme yudhyamānāḥ kirīṭinā ||
Aku pun akan pergi ke alam yang sama tempat para pahlawan agung itu telah pergi—mereka yang gugur oleh tangan Arjuna sang bermahkota, ketika bertempur di medan laga demi diriku.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral weight of leadership: when warriors die “for my sake,” the ruler cannot evade responsibility. Duryodhana frames his resolve as solidarity with those who fell on his account, underscoring accountability and the ethical burden of causing others’ deaths.
Duryodhana speaks after heavy losses in the war. He refers to his fighters who, battling for him, were slain by Arjuna (called Kirīṭin, “the diademed”). He declares that he will go to the same destination they have reached—implying a readiness to face death and share their fate.