Shloka 21
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
सर्वे त्वां शूर इत्येवं जना जल्पन्ति संसदि | व्यर्थ तद् भवतो मन्ये शौर्य सलिलशायिन:
sarve tvāṃ śūra ityevaṃ janā jalpanti saṃsadi | vyartha tad bhavato manye śaurya salilaśāyinaḥ ||
அவையில் அனைவரும் உன்னை ‘வீரன்’ எனப் பேசுகின்றனர்; ஆனால் அச்சத்தால் நீரில் படுத்திருக்கும் உன் அந்த வீரத்தை நான் வீணெனக் கருதுகிறேன்.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contrasts public reputation with actual conduct: martial honor (śaurya) is judged by courageous action, not by what people say in an assembly. Fear-driven withdrawal makes proclaimed heroism ethically hollow, especially under kṣatriya standards of duty.
Sañjaya delivers a sharp rebuke: although the court praises someone as a ‘hero,’ he declares that such praise is worthless because the person is hiding—described as lying asleep in water out of fear—thereby exposing the gap between acclaim and reality.