Shloka 11
Yudhiṣṭhira–Droṇa Saṃgrāma
Engagement and Countermeasures
मया प्रतिज्ञा महती जयद्रथवधे कृता । श्वो5स्मि हन्ता दुरात्मानं पुत्रध्नमिति केशव,“केशव! मैंने जयद्रथ-वधके लिये यह भारी प्रतिज्ञा कर ली है कि कल मैं अपने पुत्रके घातक दुरात्मा सिंधुराजको अवश्य मार डालूँगा
mayā pratijñā mahatī jayadratha-vadhe kṛtā | śvo 'smi hantā durātmānaṃ putra-dhnam iti keśava ||
Sanjaya said: “O Keśava, I have made a great vow concerning the slaying of Jayadratha: tomorrow I shall kill that wicked man—the slayer of my son.” The line underscores the binding force of a warrior’s vow in the midst of war, where grief and duty converge into a public ethical commitment that must be fulfilled.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral weight of a solemn vow (pratijñā) in a dharmic framework: once publicly undertaken—especially by a warrior in crisis—it becomes an ethical obligation that shapes action, even amid intense personal grief.
A great vow has been made to kill Jayadratha, identified as the ‘son-slayer.’ The speaker addresses Keśava (Kṛṣṇa), declaring that the killing will be accomplished the next day, setting the urgency and stakes for the coming battle.