Shloka 11
अर्जुनस्य रथाश्वमोचनं कृष्णस्याश्वसेवा च
Arjuna’s Horses Freed; Krishna’s Equine Service
तन्न देवा न गन्धर्वा नासुरोरगराक्षसा: । उत्सहन्ते5न्यथाकर्तु कुत एव नराधिपा:,“उस प्रतिज्ञाको देवता, गन्धर्व, असुर, नाग तथा राक्षस भी पलट नहीं सकते हैं। फिर ये नरेश उसे भंग करनेमें कैसे समर्थ हो सकते हैं?
tan na devā na gandharvā nāsuro ragarākṣasāḥ | utsahante 'nyathā kartuṁ kuta eva narādhipāḥ ||
सञ्जय उवाच—तां प्रतिज्ञां न देवा न गन्धर्वा नासुरा नोरगराक्षसाः। अन्यथाकर्तुमुत्सहन्ते; कुत एव नराधिपाः॥
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
A solemn vow, once taken, carries binding moral force; it is portrayed as so unalterable that even superhuman beings cannot overturn it—therefore human rulers should not presume they can nullify it. The verse emphasizes accountability, honor, and the ethical weight of promises in the Mahābhārata’s war context.
Sañjaya, narrating events to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, stresses the firmness of a particular pledge made in the conflict. By listing gods and other powerful classes of beings, he heightens the sense that the vow will stand and that attempts by kings to undo it are futile.