Shloka 41
यस्यार्थे शस्त्रमादाय यमपेक्ष्य च जीवसि । स चाद्य पतित: शेते पृष्ठे नावेदितस्तव
yasyārthe śastram ādāya yam apekṣya ca jīvasi | sa cādya patitaḥ śete pṛṣṭhe nāveditas tava ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Demi siapa engkau mengangkat senjata, dan demi siapa engkau terus hidup—bahkan sambil memandang kepada Maut—dia kini terjatuh pada hari ini, terbaring terlentang, namun engkau belum pun diberitahu.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the fragility of martial and worldly reliance: even the person for whose sake one bears arms and endures life in the shadow of death can suddenly fall. It highlights the ethical shock of war—attachments and loyalties are overturned by mortality, demanding sober awareness rather than complacent dependence.
Sañjaya delivers a stark report to his listener: the very person for whom the addressee has taken up weapons and persisted through peril is now slain and lying on his back, yet the addressee has not even been told. The line functions as a dramatic announcement of a crucial fall on the battlefield.