Shloka 57
Bhīma–Duryodhana Gadāyuddha Saṃkalpa
Resolve for the Mace Duel
सर्वे भवन्तो धर्मज्ञा: सर्वे शूरास्तनुत्यज: । वास्तवमें क्षत्रियधर्म बड़ा ही क्रूर, किसीकी भी अपेक्षा न रखनेवाला तथा अत्यन्त निर्दय है; अन्यथा तुम सब लोग धर्मज्ञ, शूरवीर तथा युद्धमें शरीरका विसर्जन करनेको उद्यत रहनेवाले होकर भी उस असहाय-अवस्थामें अभिमन्युका वध कैसे कर सकते थे ।। ५६३ || न्यायेन युध्यतां प्रोक्ता शक्रलोकगति: परा
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | sarve bhavanto dharmajñāḥ sarve śūrās tanutyajaḥ | vāstavameṃ kṣatriyadharmo baḍā hī krūraḥ, kisīkī bhī apekṣā na rakhanevālā tathā atyanta nirdaya hai; anyathā tum sab log dharmajña, śūravīra tathā yuddhameṃ śarīraka visargana karaneko udyata rahanevāle hokar bhī usa asahāya-avasthāmeṃ abhimanyukā vadha kaise kara sakate the || 563 || nyāyena yudhyatāṃ proktā śakralokagatiḥ parā
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Kalian semua mengetahui dharma; kalian semua pahlawan, siap menanggalkan tubuh di medan perang. Namun sesungguhnya dharma kṣatriya itu amat kejam—tak berutang pada siapa pun dan tanpa belas kasih. Jika tidak, bagaimana mungkin kalian—yang tahu dharma dan gagah berani, selalu siap mengorbankan nyawa—membunuh Abhimanyu ketika ia tak berdaya? Bagi mereka yang berperang dengan adil, tujuan tertinggi dikatakan adalah dunia Śakra (Indra).”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even within kṣatriya duty, righteous warfare (nyāya) is the ethical standard; violating fairness—such as killing a warrior in a helpless state—stands condemned, and only just fighting is praised as leading to the highest reward (Indra’s world).
Yudhiṣṭhira rebukes the opposing warriors for Abhimanyu’s death, arguing that if they truly were dharma-knowing heroes, they would not have killed him when he was vulnerable; he contrasts this with the ideal of fighting justly, which is said to earn heavenly attainment.