Shloka 18
कृपोपदेशः — द्रौणेरनिद्रा च
Kṛpa’s Counsel and Drauṇi’s Sleepless Resolve
न चाहं समरे तात कृतवर्मा न चैव हि | अनिर्जित्य रणे पाण्डून् न च यास्यामि कहिचित्,तात! समरांगणमें मैं और कृतवर्मा पाण्डवोंको परास्त किये बिना कभी पीछे नहीं हटेंगे
na cāhaṃ samare tāta kṛtavarmā na caiva hi | anirjitya raṇe pāṇḍūn na ca yāsyāmi kahicit ||
Kṛpa said: “Dear one, neither I nor Kṛtavarmā will ever withdraw from the battlefield. Unless we have first subdued the Pāṇḍavas in combat, we shall not depart—anywhere at all.”
कृप उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds a warrior’s resolve framed as kṣatriya-honor: a refusal to retreat until the stated objective—defeating the Pāṇḍavas—is achieved, highlighting how vows and pride can drive ethical choices in war.
In the Sauptika Parva’s tense aftermath, Kṛpa declares to his interlocutor that he and Kṛtavarmā will not leave the battlefield or turn back unless they first overcome the Pāṇḍavas in combat.