न मोक्ष्यसे पलायंस्त्वं राजन् युद्धे मनः कुरु । पृथिवीं भोक्ष्यसे जित्वा हतो वा स्वर्गमाप्स्यसि,“राजन! भागनेसे तू नहीं बच सकता। युद्धमें मन लगा। जीत लेगा, तो पृथ्वीका राज्य भोगेगा अथवा मारे जानेपर तुझे स्वर्ग मिलेगा”
na mokṣyase palāyaṁs tvaṁ rājan yuddhe manaḥ kuru | pṛthivīṁ bhokṣyase jitvā hato vā svargam āpsyasi ||
ข้าแต่พระราชา! ต่อให้หลบหนีก็มิอาจรอดพ้นได้ จงตั้งจิตไว้ในศึก หากชนะก็จักเสวยราชสมบัติแห่งแผ่นดิน หากถูกสังหารก็จักถึงสวรรค์
उत्तर उवाच
A ruler/warrior must not seek safety through cowardly flight; one should commit the mind to rightful battle. The verse presents the dharmic outcome: victory brings legitimate earthly rule, while death in battle brings heavenly merit—thus fear should not override duty.
Uttara addresses a king (rājan) and urges him to stop thinking of retreat and instead focus on fighting. He motivates him by stating the two traditional results of battle for a kṣatriya: kingship if victorious, or heaven if slain.