Shloka 9
शुद्धात्मान: शुद्धवृत्ता राजन् स्वर्गपुरस्कृता: । आर्य युद्धमकुर्वन्त परस्परजिगीषव:,राजन! उन सबके हृदय शुद्ध और आचार-व्यवहार निर्मल थे। वे सभी स्वर्गकी प्राप्तिरूप लक्ष्यको अपने सामने रखते थे; अतः परस्पर विजयकी अभिलाषासे वे आर्यजनोचित युद्ध करने लगे
śuddhātmānaḥ śuddhavṛttā rājan svargapuraskṛtāḥ | āryaṃ yuddham akurvanta parasparajigīṣavaḥ ||
Sañjaya said: “O King, their hearts were pure and their conduct stainless. With heaven set before them as the foremost aim, those noble men—each desiring victory over the other—engaged in battle in a manner befitting the Āryas, governed by accepted codes rather than mere cruelty.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in violent conflict, the Mahābhārata repeatedly distinguishes between mere aggression and dharma-governed combat: purity of intent and adherence to honorable norms (“ārya-yuddha”) are presented as ethically significant, and the warriors frame their duty with an eye on the posthumous consequence (svarga).
Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the opposing fighters, mutually intent on victory, entered battle with disciplined, ‘noble’ conduct—suggesting a regulated engagement rather than chaotic slaughter—while keeping the ideal of attaining heaven before them.