Shloka 30
अश्रमवासिनां विषादः — Lament in Hastināpura after the Elders’ Forest Withdrawal
का नु तेषां गतिर्ब्रह्यन् मित्रार्थे ये हता मूृथे
kā nu teṣāṃ gatir brahman mitrārthe ye hatā mṛdhe
Disse Vaiśampāyana: «Ó brâmane, que destino alcançam aqueles que foram mortos em batalha por causa de um amigo?»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry: sacrifice motivated by loyalty and friendship is not treated as mere violence but as an act with moral intention, prompting reflection on how intention (bhāva) shapes one’s ‘gati’ (spiritual outcome).
Vaiśampāyana voices a question to a Brahmin/sage about the posthumous fate of those who died on the battlefield specifically while acting for a friend’s cause, setting up a discussion on merit, duty, and the fruits of self-sacrifice.