Shloka 28
Duryodhana-vadha-pratikriyā: Harṣa, Nindā, and Kṛṣṇa’s Nīti-vyākhyā (Śalya-parva 60)
दुर्योधनो5पि धर्मात्मा गतिं यास्यति शाश्वतीम् । ऋणजुयोधी हतो राजा धार्तराष्ट्री नराधिप:
duryodhano 'pi dharmātmā gatiṁ yāsyati śāśvatīm | ṛṇajuyodhī hato rājā dhārtarāṣṭrī narādhipaḥ ||
Bahkan Duryodhana, yang bersifat dharmika, akan mencapai tujuan yang kekal. Raja itu—penguasa manusia, putra Dhṛtarāṣṭra—telah gugur ketika bertempur dengan terus terang, laksana seorang pejuang yang menunaikan utang (permusuhan dan kewajiban) di medan laga.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a key epic ethic: even a condemned antagonist may be granted a ‘good’ posthumous destiny if he meets death while fulfilling the kṣatriya code—fighting openly and steadfastly, discharging obligations without deceit. It highlights the Mahābhārata’s nuanced moral lens, where conduct in action (especially at life’s end) can carry decisive ethical weight.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Duryodhana has been killed. He characterizes Duryodhana’s final combat as straightforward and duty-bound, and on that basis asserts that Duryodhana will attain an enduring posthumous state.