Shloka 31
द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय १८: संशप्तकगणयुद्धे अर्जुनस्यास्त्रप्रयोगः
Drona Parva, Chapter 18: Arjuna’s astra-deployment against the Saṃśaptakas
ततस्ते संन्यवर्तन्त संशप्तकगणा: पुन: । नारायणाश्च गोपाला मृत्युं कृत्वा निवर्तनम्,तब वे समस्त संशप्तकगण और नारायणी सेनाके ग्वाले मृत्युको ही युद्धसे निवृत्तिका अवसर मानकर पुन: लौट आये
tataste saṁnyavartanta saṁśaptakagaṇāḥ punaḥ | nārāyaṇāś ca gopālā mṛtyuṁ kṛtvā nivartanam ||
Sanjaya berkata: Maka kumpulan Saṁśaptaka itu berpaling dan kembali sekali lagi. Para penggembala lembu dalam bala Nārāyaṇī juga kembali—menganggap bahawa hanya mautlah alasan yang dibenarkan untuk berundur dari pertempuran.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a severe martial ethic: those bound by vow and warrior-honour accept no withdrawal from combat except through death, presenting duty as something upheld even at the cost of life.
Sanjaya reports that the Saṁśaptaka bands and the Nārāyaṇī cowherd-warriors, after a prior movement away, turn back once more into battle, regarding death as the only legitimate ‘permission’ to stop fighting.