Shloka 28
Adhyāya 112: Bhīṣma-prati Arjunasya Pravṛttiḥ
Arjuna’s Forward Drive Toward Bhīṣma
अद्य चापि महत् कर्म प्रकरिष्ये महाबल । अहं वाद्य हतः शेष्ये हनिष्ये वाद्य पाण्डवान्,“महाबली वीर! आज भी मैं महान् कर्म करूँगा। या तो आज मैं ही मारा जाकर रणभूमिमें सो जाऊँगा या पाण्डवोंका ही संहार करूँगा
adya cāpi mahat karma prakariṣye mahābala | ahaṃ vādy hataḥ śeṣye haniṣye vādy pāṇḍavān ||
Sañjaya said: “O mighty one, even today I shall undertake a great deed. Either I will be struck down and lie upon the battlefield, or else I will bring about the destruction of the Pāṇḍavas.” The utterance reflects the warrior’s vow-like resolve in war, where personal survival is subordinated to the chosen aim, and the ethical tension of valor being directed toward annihilation is laid bare.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of unwavering resolve: one commits to a chosen duty even at the cost of life. At the same time, it exposes the moral strain of war—heroic determination can be inseparable from the intention to destroy others.
Sañjaya reports a warrior’s declaration of intent for the day’s fighting: he will either fall in battle or succeed in killing the Pāṇḍavas. It functions as a dramatic statement of escalation and personal stake in the ongoing combat.