Shloka 17
भीमसेन–अलायुधयुद्धम् / Bhīmasena and Alāyudha: Night Engagement and Command Responses
जो भूमिपाल मेरे लिये इस भूमिको जीतना चाहते थे, वे स्वयं भूमण्डलका एऐश्वर्य त्यागकर भूमिपर सो रहे हैं ।। सो<हं कापुरुष: कृत्वा मित्राणां क्षयमीदृशम् । अश्वमेधसहस्रेण पावितुं न समुत्सहे,मैं कायर हूँ, अपने मित्रोंका ऐसा संहार कराकर हजारों अश्वमेध-यज्ञोंसे भी अपनेको पवित्र नहीं कर सकता
ye bhūmipālā mama kṛte imāṃ bhūmiṃ jetum aicchan, te svayaṃ bhūmaṇḍalasyaiśvaryaṃ tyaktvā bhūmau śerate. so 'haṃ kāpuruṣaḥ kṛtvā mitrāṇāṃ kṣayam īdṛśam, aśvamedha-sahasreṇa pāvituṃ na samutsahe.
ମୋ ପାଇଁ ଏହି ଭୂମିକୁ ଜିତିବାକୁ ଚାହୁଁଥିବା ଭୂମିପାଳମାନେ, ସମଗ୍ର ଜଗତର ଐଶ୍ୱର୍ୟ ତ୍ୟାଗ କରି ଧରାପୃଷ୍ଠରେ ଶୋଇଛନ୍ତି। ଆଉ ମୁଁ—କାପୁରୁଷ—ମିତ୍ରମାନଙ୍କ ଏପରି ବିନାଶ କରାଇ, ହଜାର ଅଶ୍ୱମେଧ ଯଜ୍ଞରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ନିଜକୁ ପବିତ୍ର କରିପାରିବି ବୋଲି ଧୈର୍ୟ କରିପାରୁନି।
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Worldly sovereignty and ritual merit cannot erase the ethical burden of causing the ruin of one’s allies; genuine accountability is moral, not merely ceremonial.
Duryodhana reflects on the battlefield’s outcome: kings who fought for his cause now lie dead. Overwhelmed by the scale of allied losses, he calls himself a coward and admits that even grand sacrifices like a thousand Aśvamedhas would not purify him.