Mahabharata 7.17.35 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 17, Shloka 35
Saṃśaptakas in Candrārdha-vyūha; Arjuna’s Devadatta and the Traigarta Rout
Chapter 17
यद्यहत्वा वयं युद्धे निवर्तेम धनंजयम् | तेन चाभ्यर्दितास्त्रासादू भवेम हि पराड्मुखा:
yady ahatvā vayaṁ yuddhe nivartema dhanañjayam | tena cābhyarditās trāsād bhavema hi parāṅmukhāḥ ||
सञ्जय उवाच—यदि वयं युद्धे धनञ्जयं निहत्य विना निवर्तेम, अथवा तस्य शरैः पीडिताः त्रासाद् भयेन पराङ्मुखा भवेम, तदा नूनं तान् एव पापलोकान् प्राप्नुयाम, ये दुष्कृतिनां महापातकिनां च नियताः। धर्म्ये संग्रामे प्रविष्टस्य भयात् निवृत्तिः परमाधर्मतुल्या भवति।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Having entered a righteous battle, turning back out of fear is portrayed as a grave adharma: moral failure is measured not only by acts committed, but also by cowardly abandonment of one’s duty under pressure.
Sañjaya voices the anxiety of the Kaurava side: if they cannot kill Arjuna and instead withdraw—especially after being driven back by his arrows—they will be disgraced and incur severe spiritual consequences.
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