Mahabharata (Gita Press) 9.21.4 - Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 4
Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ
Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements
ततः प्रववृते युद्ध कुरूणां पाण्डवैः सह । निवृत्तानां महाराज मृत्युं कृत्वा निवर्तनम्
tataḥ pravavṛte yuddhaṁ kurūṇāṁ pāṇḍavaiḥ saha | nivṛttānāṁ mahārāja mṛtyuṁ kṛtvā nivartanam ||
മഹാരാജാവേ! അതിനുശേഷം തിരികെ വന്ന കൗരവർ പാണ്ഡവരോടൊപ്പം വീണ്ടും ഭീകരയുദ്ധത്തിൽ ഏർപ്പെട്ടു; മടങ്ങിവന്നവർ പിന്മാറ്റത്തിന്റെ അതിരായി മരണത്തെയേ നിശ്ചയിച്ചിരുന്നു।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a warrior ethos where retreat is morally constrained by honor: once they return to battle, they treat death as the only boundary for withdrawal. It reflects the harsh logic of kṣatriya-dharma in epic warfare—valor and steadfastness are prized even when the ethical cost is immense.
After a moment of withdrawal or turning back, the Kuru forces re-engage the Pāṇḍavas. Sañjaya tells Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the combat restarts with a grim determination: those who have returned do not consider retreat an option, as if death itself is the endpoint of disengagement.
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