Shloka 256
धृतराष्ट्रविलापः — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Lament and Inquiry (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 2)
योत्स्यन्ते सह राजेन्द्र हनिष्यन्ति च तान् मृथे । 'राजेन्द्र! अथवा ये सभी योद्धा पाण्डुपुत्र युधिष्ठिरके अनुयायियोंके साथ युद्ध करेंगे और उन सबको रणभूमिमें मार गिरायेंगे
yotsyante saha rājendra haniṣyanti ca tān mṛdhe |
O king, they will fight together, and in the battle they will slay them on the field—an assertion of imminent, collective violence framed as counsel to a ruler, reflecting the grim ethical atmosphere of the war where victory is spoken of in terms of killing the opposing side.
धघतयाट्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The line highlights the war-ethic of the epic: leaders and warriors speak in terms of collective resolve and decisive action, where the ruler is urged to view the conflict as an unavoidable contest culminating in the killing of opponents—raising the tension between kṣatriya-duty and the moral weight of violence.
A speaker addresses a king ('rājendra') and declares that the warriors will fight together and kill 'them' in the battle, conveying confidence (or warning) about the coming clash and its lethal outcome.