Shloka 59
इन्द्रजिद्-लक्ष्मणयुद्धम्
Indrajit and Lakṣmaṇa: Escalation through Concealment
राजपुत्र निवर्तस्व न ते युक्त पलायनम् । कथं हानुचरान् हित्वा शत्रुमध्ये पलायसे,“राजकुमार! लौटो, तुम्हें पीठ दिखाकर भागना शोभा नहीं देता। अपने सेवकोंको शत्रुओंके बीचमें छोड़कर कैसे भागे जा रहे हो? क्या इसी बलसे तुम दूसरेकी स्त्रीको बलपूर्वक हरकर ले जाना चाहते थे?”
rājaputra nivartasva na te yuktaṃ palāyanam | kathaṃ hānucarān hitvā śatrumadhye palāyase |
Vaiśampāyana said: “Prince, turn back. Flight is not fitting for you. How can you run away after abandoning your attendants in the midst of enemies?” The rebuke underscores the kṣatriya ethic: courage, responsibility toward one’s followers, and the shame of seeking to seize another’s wife by force while lacking the steadfastness to face danger.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A leader—especially a kṣatriya—must not flee in fear, and must not abandon dependents in danger. Valor and accountability are presented as inseparable from rightful conduct; hypocrisy is implied when one seeks to commit an unrighteous act (such as forcibly taking another’s wife) yet lacks the courage to face consequences.
The narrator Vaiśampāyana reports a sharp admonition addressed to a prince who is retreating. He is told to return because fleeing is disgraceful, particularly since he is leaving his own attendants surrounded by enemies.