Shloka 107
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 47 — Arjuna’s Deterrent Declaration
Sañjaya’s Report
वधे धृतो वेगवतः प्रमुडचन् नाहं प्रजा: किंचिदिहावशिष्ये | शान्तिं लप्स्ये परमो होष भाव: स्थिरो मम ब्रूहि गावल्गणे तान्
vadhe dhṛto vegavataḥ pramudacan nāhaṃ prajāḥ kiṃcid ihāvaśiṣye | śāntiṃ lapsye paramo hoṣa-bhāvaḥ sthiro mama brūhi gāvalgaṇe tān |
Sanjaya berkata: “Dengan tekad untuk membunuh, bergembira atas kelajuan dan kekuatanku sendiri, aku tidak akan meninggalkan seorang pun di sini. Hanya dengan itu barulah aku memperoleh kedamaian. Inilah azamku yang tertinggi dan tidak tergoyahkan—pergilah, wahai Gāvalgaṇa, dan katakan kepada mereka dengan terus terang.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse exposes a tragic ethical inversion common in war rhetoric: the speaker equates ‘peace’ with total annihilation of opponents and even the wider populace. It highlights how anger and martial pride can masquerade as a quest for peace, thereby challenging dharmic discernment about means and ends.
Sañjaya reports a message of uncompromising intent: the speaker declares a firm resolve to spare no one and instructs Sañjaya (addressed as Gāvalgaṇa) to convey this determination to the other side. It functions as a threat and a declaration of policy in the escalating pre-war negotiations of the Udyoga Parva.