Shloka 24
Kṣātra-dharma in Campaign and Battle: Protection, Purification, and the Ideal Warrior’s End (क्षात्रधर्मः—अभियानयुद्धे रक्षणदानशुद्धिः)
अविक्षतेन देहेन प्रलयं योडधिगच्छति । क्षत्रियो नास्य तत् कर्म प्रशंसन्ति पुराविद:
avikṣatena dehena pralayaṃ yo ’dhigacchati | kṣatriyo nāsya tat karma praśaṃsanti purāvidaḥ ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ກະສັດຕຣິຍະຜູ້ໃດພົບຄວາມຕາຍໃນຂະນະທີ່ຮ່າງກາຍຍັງບໍ່ບາດເຈັບ—ລົ້ມຕາຍຢ່າງອ່ອນແອ ແທນທີ່ຈະຢືນຫຍັດໃນສະໜາມຮົບ—ການກະທໍານັ້ນບໍ່ໄດ້ຮັບຄຳສັນລະເສີນຈາກຜູ້ຮູ້ວິຖີເກົ່າແກ່. ເພາະຕາມທຳຂອງນັກຮົບ ຄວາມຕາຍຕ້ອງຖືກພົບດ້ວຍຄວາມກ້າຫານ ແລະຄວາມໝັ້ນຄົງ ບໍ່ແມ່ນດ້ວຍການແຕກພ່າຍ ແລະການຄ່ຳຄວນ ໂດຍຍັງບໍ່ຖືກຕີ».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that for a kshatriya, honorable conduct requires courage and steadfastness; dying without having faced injury or combat—through collapse, fear, or lamentation—is not commended by authorities on ancient dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma is advising about proper warrior conduct, contrasting praised death in the line of duty with blameworthy death that comes without battle or wounds.