Shloka 23
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
स कथं कौरवे वंशे प्रशंसन् जन्म चात्मन: । युद्धाद् भीतस्ततस्तोयं प्रविश्य प्रतितिष्ठसि
sa kathaṃ kaurave vaṃśe praśaṃsan janma cātmanaḥ | yuddhād bhītastatastoyaṃ praviśya pratitiṣṭhasi ||
Sañjaya disse: “Como pode ser que tu, que costumavas vangloriar-te do teu nascimento na linhagem dos Kuru e louvar a tua própria estirpe, agora—temendo a batalha—tenhas escorregado para dentro da água e ali permaneças oculto?”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse critiques empty pride in noble birth when it is not matched by courage and duty in crisis; lineage is shown as ethically meaningful only when upheld through conduct, especially in the face of fear.
Sanjaya reports a taunting rebuke directed at a Kaurava who had earlier gloried in his Kuru birth but, terrified by the fighting, has entered the water to hide and is staying there instead of facing battle.