Shloka 17
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 126 — Kṛṣṇa’s Indictment of Misrule and the Varuṇa Analogy (कृष्णवाक्यं–धर्मपाशदृष्टान्तः)
ते वयं वीरशयन प्राप्स्यामो यदि संयुगे । अप्रणम्यैव शत्रूणां न नस्तप्स्यन्ति माधव,“अतः माधव! हम अपने शत्रुओंके सामने नतमस्तक न होकर यदि युद्धमें वीरशय्याको प्राप्त हों तो इससे हमारे भाई-बन्धुओंको संताप नहीं होगा
te vayaṁ vīraśayanaṁ prāpsyāmo yadi saṁyuge | apraṇamyaiva śatrūṇāṁ na nas tapsyanti mādhava ||
Vaiśampāyana disse: “Ó Mādhava, se na batalha alcançarmos o leito do herói (isto é, tombarmos em combate) sem jamais nos curvar diante de nossos inimigos, então nossos parentes não serão atormentados pela vergonha nem pela dor por nossa causa.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse upholds a kṣatriya ideal: better to meet death in righteous battle than to preserve life through humiliation or submission to enemies, since such surrender brings lasting anguish and dishonor to one’s community.
In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, the speaker frames the coming conflict in terms of honor and collective consequence, asserting to Mādhava (Kṛṣṇa) that dying in battle without bowing to foes would spare their relatives the torment of disgrace.