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Shloka 21

स्त्रीपर्व — गान्धारीभीमसेनसंवादः

Strī-parva — Gāndhārī–Bhīmasena Dialogue on Wartime Conduct

Devanagari script

कथं नु धर्म धर्मज्ै: समुद्दिष्ट महात्मभि: । त्यजेयुराहवे शूरा: प्राणहेतो: कथंचन

Transliteration

kathaṃ nu dharma dharmajñaiḥ samuddiṣṭa mahātmabhiḥ | tyajeyur āhave śūrāḥ prāṇa-hetoḥ kathaṃcana ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana berkata: Bagaimanakah para pahlawan itu dapat meninggalkan, di tengah medan perang, dharma yang telah ditegaskan dengan jelas oleh para resi berjiwa agung yang mengetahui dharma—semata-mata demi menyelamatkan nyawa mereka?

Word by Word

कथम्how?

नुindeed/then (emphatic particle)

धर्मःdharma, righteousness

धर्मजैःby the sons of Dharma (i.e., the Pāṇḍavas)

समुद्दिष्टःdeclared/indicated/taught

महात्मभिःby great-souled ones

त्यजेयुःwould abandon/should abandon

आहवेin battle

शूराःheroes, brave men

प्राणहेतोःfor the sake of life; out of fear for life

कथंचनin any way/ever (at all)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

mahātmānaḥ (great-souled sages/elders)

śūrāḥ (warriors/heroes)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts that true heroes do not forsake dharma—especially the dharma taught by wise and noble authorities—even when their own lives are at stake. Ethical duty is presented as weightier than mere self-preservation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Strī Parva’s aftermath of the war, Vaiśaṃpāyana reflects on the warriors’ adherence to the battle-code and the dharma prescribed by revered, dharma-knowing elders, questioning how such heroes could ever abandon that duty in combat simply to save their lives.