Shloka 56
Bhīma–Duryodhana Gadāyuddha Saṃkalpa
Resolve for the Mace Duel
क्षत्रधर्म भृशं क्रूरं निरपेक्षं सुनिर्धणम् । अन्यथा तु कथं हन्युरभिमन्युं तथा गतम्
kṣatradharma bhṛśaṃ krūraṃ nirapekṣaṃ sunirdhanam | anyathā tu kathaṃ hanyur abhimanyuṃ tathā gatam ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Dharma seorang kṣatriya amat keras—tak memandang siapa pun, tak luluh oleh permohonan, dan sama sekali tanpa belas kasih. Jika tidak, bagaimana mungkin mereka membunuh Abhimanyu ketika ia berada dalam keadaan demikian?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral tension within kṣatriya-dharma: warfare may be sanctioned as duty, yet its practice can become so ruthless that it appears devoid of compassion and fairness. Yudhiṣṭhira’s lament questions whether ‘dharma’ in war can remain ethical when it permits the killing of a vulnerable opponent.
Yudhiṣṭhira, grieving and morally shaken, reflects on Abhimanyu’s death. He argues that only an extremely harsh warrior code could allow Abhimanyu to be slain ‘in such a condition,’ implying he was disadvantaged and treated without mercy.