Shloka 26
Pradyumna–Śālva Missile-Exchange at Saubha (Āraṇyaka Parva, Adhyāya 18)
सच सम्भावयन् मां वै निवृत्तो हृदिकात्मज: । त॑ समेत्य रणं त्यक्त्वा कि वक्ष्यामि महारथम्,“कृतवर्मा मुझे इस कार्यके लिये समर्थ जानकर युद्धसे निवृत्त हो गये। आज युद्ध छोड़कर जब मैं उन महारथी वीरसे मिलूँगा, तब उन्हें क्या जवाब दूँगा?
sa ca sambhāvayan māṃ vai nivṛtto hṛdikātmajaḥ | taṃ sametya raṇaṃ tyaktvā kiṃ vakṣyāmi mahāratham ||
Vāyu said: “And he—trusting in me and deeming me capable for this task—has withdrawn from the battle. Now, having abandoned the fight, when I go to meet that great chariot-warrior, what answer shall I give him?”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of trust and obligation: when someone withdraws relying on your capability, abandoning the situation creates a moral dilemma—one must be able to answer honorably to those who placed confidence in them.
Vāyudeva reflects that Kṛtavarman, the son of Hṛdīka, has stepped back from battle because he believed Vāyu would accomplish the intended task. Now Vāyu worries that if he leaves the battlefield and meets that great warrior, he will have no достой reply for having abandoned the fight.