Shloka 29
Pradyumna–Śālva Missile-Exchange at Saubha (Āraṇyaka Parva, Adhyāya 18)
त्यक्त्वा रणमिमं सौते पृष्ठतो5भ्याहतः शरै: । त्वयापनीतो विवशो न जीवेयं कथंचन,“'सूतपुत्र! तेरे द्वारा रणसे दूर लाया हुआ मैं इस युद्धको छोड़कर और पीठपर बाणोंकी चोट खाकर विवशतापूर्ण जीवन किसी प्रकार भी नहीं धारण करूँगा
tyaktvā raṇam imaṁ saute pṛṣṭhato 'bhyāhataḥ śaraiḥ | tvayāpanīto vivaśo na jīveyaṁ kathaṁcana ||
Vāyu disse: “Ó filho do cocheiro, se eu abandonar esta batalha—arrastado por ti contra a minha vontade—e for atingido por flechas pelas costas, não aceitarei, em circunstância alguma, continuar vivo em tamanha desonra e impotência. Melhor a morte do que uma vida mantida após virar as costas ao combate.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts an honor-based ethic of warfare: to be forced to withdraw and then be wounded from behind is experienced as intolerable disgrace; one should not cling to life at the cost of abandoning one’s duty and dignity in battle.
Vāyu addresses a ‘sūtaputra’ (charioteer’s son), protesting that being pulled away from the fight against his will would leave him exposed to arrows from behind; he declares he would rather die than live after such a compelled retreat.