Shloka 24
व्रजन्तु शेषा: स्वपुराणि बान्धवा निवृत्तयुद्धाश्व भवन्तु सैनिका: । न चेद् वच: श्रोष्यसि मे नराधिप ध्रुवं प्रतप्तासि हतो5रिभियुधि
vrajantu śeṣāḥ svapurāṇi bāndhavā nivṛttayuddhāś ca bhavantu sainikāḥ | na ced vacaḥ śroṣyasi me narādhipa dhruvaṃ prataptāsi hato 'ribhir yudhi ||
“Let the remaining kinsmen return to their own cities, and let the soldiers be released from battle. But if you will not heed my words, O king, then surely you will be slain by your enemies in war—and afterwards you will burn with remorse.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler should heed wise counsel that aims at peace and public welfare; rejecting such counsel leads to predictable ruin in war and the moral suffering of remorse.
Sañjaya urges the king to accept conciliatory advice: end hostilities, send relatives back to their cities, and dismiss the troops. He warns that refusal will result in death at the hands of enemies and subsequent regret.