Mahabharata 9.5.47 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 5, Shloka 47
शल्यस्य सेनापत्याभ्युपगमः | Śalya’s Acceptance of Command
सो5हमेतादृशं कृत्वा जगतो5स्य परा भवम् । सुयुद्धेन ततः स्वर्ग प्राप्स्यामि न तदन््यथा
so ’ham etādṛśaṁ kṛtvā jagato ’sya parābhavam | suyuddhena tataḥ svargaṁ prāpsyāmi na tad anyathā ||
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഈ ലോകത്തിന് ഇത്തരമൊരു നാശം വരുത്തിയ ശേഷം, ഇനി ഞാൻ മഹത്തായും ദൃഢമായും ഉള്ള യുദ്ധത്തിലൂടെ മാത്രമേ സ്വർഗം പ്രാപിക്കൂ; എന്റെ പരമശ്രേയസ്സിന് മറ്റൊരു മാർഗമില്ല.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a grim ethical logic of kṣatriya warfare: after causing vast ruin, the speaker sees only one remaining path to personal ‘good end’—to fight on with valor in a ‘suyuddha’ (noble battle), seeking svarga as the traditional reward for steadfast martial duty.
In the Shalya Parva context, Sañjaya reports a warrior’s resolve: acknowledging the catastrophic destruction already wrought, he declares that he will now pursue heaven by continuing the battle, insisting there is no other means for his ultimate welfare.
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