Mahabharata 9.7.39 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 7, Shloka 39
Śalya Installed as Commander; Coalition Agreement and Battle Arrays (शल्यसेनापत्यारोहणं व्यूहवर्णनं च)
न चैवात्र दया कार्या मातुलो<यं ममेति वै । क्षत्रधर्म पुरस्कृत्य जहि मद्रजनेश्वरम्
na caivātra dayā kāryā mātulo 'yaṃ mameti vai | kṣatradharma-puraskṛtya jahi madrājaneśvaram iti satyaṃ bravīmy eṣa duryodhana na saṃśayaḥ |
सञ्जय उवाच—न चैवात्र दया कार्या ‘मातुलोऽयं ममेति’ वै। क्षत्रधर्मं पुरस्कृत्य जहि मद्रजनेश्वरम्। दुर्योधन, एतत् सत्यं ब्रवीमि; न संशयः।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds kshatriya-dharma: in a war framed as a duty-bound conflict, personal ties (such as being a maternal uncle) should not override the warrior’s obligation to act decisively against an enemy leader.
Sanjaya reports a forceful exhortation to Duryodhana: do not spare Shalya out of family sentiment; instead, prioritize the warrior code and aim to kill Shalya, identified as the ruler of the Madras.
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