Shloka 39
Draupadī-apaharaṇa-saṃdeśaḥ
Report of Draupadī’s Abduction and the Pāṇḍavas’ Pursuit
न मृतो जयते शत्रूञज्जीवन् भद्राणि पश्यति । मृतस्य भद्राणि कुतः कौरवेय कुतो जय:
na mṛto jayate śatrūñ jīvan bhadrāṇi paśyati | mṛtasya bhadrāṇi kutaḥ kauraveya kuto jayaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Orang yang mati tidak menewaskan musuh. Hanya yang masih hidup dapat menyaksikan hari-hari bertuah. Bagi yang mati, di manakah kesejahteraan—dan di manakah kemenangan, wahai putera keturunan Kuru?”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches a practical ethical point: life is the necessary condition for any future good—whether victory, welfare, or the chance to see better days. Therefore, one should not choose self-destruction or futile death in the name of honor, because death ends both agency and the possibility of auspicious outcomes.
Vaiśampāyana, narrating the epic, conveys counsel addressed to a Kuru-descendant: do not seek a course that leads to death, since a dead person cannot defeat enemies or attain prosperity. The line functions as admonition within a moment of crisis, urging endurance and continued effort rather than fatal resignation.