Shloka 4
Strī Parva, Adhyāya 2 — Vidura’s Consolation on Kāla, Karma, and the Limits of Lamentation (विदुरोपदेशः)
यदा शूरं च भीरुं च यम: कर्षति भारत । तत् कि न योत्स्यन्ति हि ते क्षत्रिया: क्षत्रियर्षभ,भरतनन्दन! क्षत्रियशिरोमणे! जब शूरवीर और डरपोक दोनोंको ही यमराज खींच ले जाते हैं, तब वे क्षत्रियलोग युद्ध क्यों न करते!
yadā śūraṃ ca bhīruṃ ca yamaḥ karṣati bhārata | tat kiṃ na yotsyanti hi te kṣatriyāḥ kṣatriyarṣabha ||
Vidura says: “O Bhārata, when Yama drags away both the brave and the fearful alike, why should those Kṣatriyas not fight? O bull among Kṣatriyas—since death comes to all, a warrior’s duty is to meet it through righteous battle rather than through cowardice.”
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Since death (Yama) comes equally to the brave and the fearful, a Kṣatriya should choose courageous action aligned with duty—fighting when righteousness and role-demand require it—rather than seeking safety through cowardice.
In the aftermath of the war (Strī Parva context), Vidura addresses a Kuru elder as “Bhārata,” using a stark reminder of mortality to argue that warriors cannot evade fate; therefore, they should uphold Kṣatriya duty and not shrink from battle.