Shloka 24
Nārāyaṇāstra-utpātaḥ — Aśvatthāman’s Rallying Roar after Droṇa’s Fall (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६७)
युधिष्ठिरस्तु हार्दिक्यं विदृध्वा पजचभिराशुगै: । पुनर्विव्याध विंशत्या तिष्ठ तिछेति चाब्रवीत्,युधिष्ठिरने कृतवर्माकों पहले पाँच बाणोंसे घायल करके फिर बीस बाणोंसे बींध डाला और कहा--'खड़ा रह, खड़ा रह”
Yudhiṣṭhiras tu Hārdikyaṃ viddhvā pañcabhir āśugaiḥ | punar vivyādha viṃśatyā tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābravīt ||
Sañjaya said: Yudhiṣṭhira, having first struck Hārdikya (Kṛtavarman) with five swift arrows, again pierced him with twenty more. Then he declared, “Stand firm—stand firm!” In the midst of battle, the righteous king’s words carry a stern ethical edge: he does not merely seek to kill, but to check the opponent’s advance and compel him to face the consequences of his chosen violence.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even a dharma-minded king may act with severity in war, yet his force can be directed toward stopping aggression and demanding accountability rather than indulging in cruelty. The repeated command “tiṣṭha” underscores the expectation of facing battle consequences directly—an ethic tied to kṣatriya-dharma.
Sañjaya reports that Yudhiṣṭhira strikes Kṛtavarman (called Hārdikya) first with five swift arrows and then with twenty more, and challenges him with the words “Stand, stand!”—a forceful call to hold position and confront the fight.