Shloka 25
अभिमन्युना दुःशासनस्य ताडनम्
Abhimanyu’s Rebuke and Wounding of Duḥśāsana; Karṇa’s Counter-volley
तौ च श्रुत्वा मृतौ व्यक्त पाण्डो: क्षेत्रोद्भवा: सुता: । एकाह्वा ससुद्॒द्वर्गा: क्लैब्याद्धास्यन्ति जीवितम्,“उन दोनोंको मरा हुआ सुनकर पाण्डुके क्षेत्रमें उत्पन्न हुए ये चारों पाण्डव कायरतावश अपने सुहृदवर्गके साथ एक ही दिन प्राण त्याग देंगे
tau ca śrutvā mṛtau vyakta pāṇḍoḥ kṣetrodbhavāḥ sutāḥ | ekāhvā sasuhṛd-vargāḥ klaibyād hāsyanti jīvitam ||
Sañjaya said: Hearing that those two have certainly been slain, the sons born in Pāṇḍu’s field—those four Pāṇḍavas—together with their circle of well-wishers, will, out of cowardice, abandon their lives within a single day. The remark underscores how decisive news in war can shatter morale and how fear, rather than dharma-guided resolve, can drive ruinous choices.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical and practical danger of klaibya (cowardice): when fear governs judgment, even great warriors may contemplate self-destruction, abandoning dharma and responsibility. It implies that steadfastness and discernment are essential amid the shocks of war.
Sañjaya reports a reaction to hearing that “those two” have been killed. He predicts that the four Pāṇḍavas, along with their supporters, will be so overwhelmed that they may give up their lives within a day—an expression of the war’s intense psychological stakes and the power of battlefield news.