Shloka 4
Arjuna Confronted by Saindhava Forces during the Aśvamedha Circuit (श्वेतवाहनस्य सैन्धवसंघर्षः)
त्वया वृद्धो मम पिता भगदत्त: पितु: सखा । हतो वृद्धो मम पिता शिशुं मामद्य योधय,“मेरे वृद्ध पिता भगदत्त तुम्हारे बापके मित्र थे, तो भी तुमने उनकी हत्या की। मेरे पिता बूढ़े थे, इसलिये तुम्हारे हाथसे मारे गये। आज उनका बालक मैं तुम्हारे सामने उपस्थित हूँ; मेरे साथ युद्ध करो'
tvayā vṛddho mama pitā bhagadattaḥ pituḥ sakhā | hato vṛddho mama pitā śiśuṃ mām adya yodhaya ||
“Meu pai Bhagadatta era um ancião e amigo de teu pai. E, ainda assim, mataste meu velho pai. Por estar avançado em anos, ele caiu por tua mão. Hoje eu, seu filho, estou diante de ti—luta comigo agora!”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical tension between personal grief/vengeance and the warrior code: the speaker frames the killing of an elderly father as morally charged and seeks to restore honor through direct combat, illustrating how dharma in war is often argued through lineage, friendship, and perceived fairness.
A grieving son confronts the warrior who killed his aged father Bhagadatta, reminding him that Bhagadatta was a friend of the opponent’s father, accusing him of slaying an old man, and issuing a challenge to fight the son now.