Shloka 20
Adhyāya 35 — Bhīmasena’s Counter-Encirclement and the Karṇa Engagement Escalation
गृहाण धर्मराजं वा जहि वा त्वं धनंजयम्
gṛhāṇa dharmarājaṃ vā jahi vā tvaṃ dhanañjayam
សញ្ជ័យបាននិយាយថា៖ «ចាប់យក ធម្មរាជ (យុធិષ્ઠិរ) ឲ្យបាន ឬមិនដូច្នោះទេ អ្នក—ធនញ្ជយ (អរជុន)—ចូរសម្លាប់គាត់ចុះ»។
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh moral calculus of war: even when dharma is invoked, outcomes are pursued through coercion—either non-lethal domination (capturing the righteous king) or outright killing. It exposes the tension between ethical ideals and battlefield imperatives.
Sañjaya, narrating the battle to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, reports a forceful directive aimed at deciding the war’s course: target Dharmarāja (Yudhiṣṭhira) for capture, or have Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) be slain—an urgent tactical demand centered on key leaders.