Shloka 22
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
उत्तिष्ठ राजन् युध्यस्व क्षत्रियोडसि कुलोद्धव: । कौरवेयो विशेषेण कुलं जन्म च संस्मर,“राजन! उठो, युद्ध करो; क्योंकि तुम कुलीन क्षत्रिय हो, विशेषतः कुरुकुलकी संतान हो। अपने कुल और जन्मका स्मरण तो करो
uttiṣṭha rājan yudhyasva kṣatriyo 'si kulodbhavaḥ | kauraveyo viśeṣeṇa kulaṃ janma ca saṃsmara ||
Sanjaya berkata: “Bangkitlah, wahai raja, dan berperanglah. Engkau seorang kṣatriya, lahir daripada keturunan mulia; bahkan engkau khususnya zuriat wangsa Kuru. Ingatlah asal-usul dan kelahiranmu, lalu bertindaklah sewajarnya.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse appeals to kṣatriya-dharma: a warrior-king should not succumb to inertia or despair in a righteous battle, but should act with courage, remembering the responsibilities that come with noble lineage and birth.
Sanjaya, narrating the battlefield events to the blind king Dhṛtarāṣṭra, delivers an urgent exhortation addressed to the king—framing the crisis of war as a test of Kuru identity and royal duty, and urging decisive action rather than hesitation.