Shloka 28
Bhīṣma’s Fall, the Arrow-bed (śara-talpa), and the Establishment of Guard
नायं संरक्षितुं काल: प्राणान् पुत्रोपजीविभि: । याहि स्वर्ग पुरस्कृत्य यशसे विजयाय च
na ayaṁ saṁrakṣituṁ kālaḥ prāṇān putropajīvibhiḥ | yāhi svargaṁ puraskṛtya yaśase vijayāya ca |
サンジャヤは言った。「子に依って生を立てる者が、自らの命の保全にしがみつく時ではない。天界を前に掲げ、名声と勝利を求めて、ビーシュマのもとへ行け。」
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse urges prioritizing honor-bound action over self-preservation: in a dharma-war context, one should not cling to life out of fear or dependency, but act with the higher aims of duty, glory, and the righteous hope of heaven.
Sañjaya, reporting the battlefield situation, conveys an exhortation to approach Bhīṣma—the commander—without hesitation, framing the moment as one that demands courage and commitment to victory rather than anxious protection of one’s life.