Shloka 26
राजानमेनं त्वमितीदमुक्त्वा कि कश्मलं प्राविश: पार्थ घोरम् । त्वं चात्मानं हन्तुमिच्छस्वरिघ्न नेदं सद्धिः सेवितं वै किरीटिन्
rājānam enaṁ tvam iti idam uktvā kiṁ kaśmalaṁ prāviśaḥ pārtha ghoram | tvaṁ ca ātmānaṁ hantum icchasi arighna nedaṁ sādhuḥ sevitaṁ vai kirīṭin ||
Disse Sañjaya: “Tendo tratado o rei Yudhiṣṭhira pelo familiar ‘tu’, por que, ó Pārtha, caíste em tão terrível desalento? Ó destruidor de inimigos, desejas agora tirar a própria vida? Ó herói de diadema, este não é um caminho jamais trilhado pelos justos e pelos bons.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse condemns sinking into crippling despair (kaśmala) and especially rejects self-destruction as contrary to the conduct of sādhus (the righteous). It frames emotional collapse and suicidal intent as adharma, urging steadiness and ethical restraint even amid war and humiliation.
After a tense exchange involving King Yudhiṣṭhira, Arjuna is portrayed as overwhelmed—so much so that he seems to contemplate self-harm. Sañjaya reports the rebuke/counsel directed at Arjuna: questioning his lapse into terrible dejection and reminding him that such an act is not practiced by the virtuous.