Mahabharata 11.9.21 — Stree Parva, Adhyaya 9, Shloka 21
स्त्रीपर्व — नवमोऽध्यायः | Dhṛtarāṣṭra summons the Kuru women; the city departs in collective lamentation
एवं राजंस्तवाचक्षे स्वर्ग्य पन््थानमुत्तमम् । न युद्धादधिकं किंचित् क्षत्रियस्येह विद्यते
evaṁ rājan tava ācakṣe svargyaṁ panthānam uttamam | na yuddhād adhikaṁ kiñcit kṣatriyasyeha vidyate ||
وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا: اے بادشاہ! میں تمہیں جنت تک لے جانے والا نہایت عمدہ راستہ بتاتا ہوں۔ اس دنیا میں ایک کشتریہ کے لیے جنگ سے بڑھ کر جنت پانے کا کوئی وسیلہ نہیں۔
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a dharma-based ethic: for a kṣatriya, righteous battle undertaken as duty is presented as the foremost ‘svargya’ (heaven-leading) path, implying that fulfilling one’s ordained role can be spiritually consequential.
Vaiśampāyana addresses the King and frames an instruction about the highest means to attain heaven for a warrior-ruler, emphasizing that nothing surpasses battle for a kṣatriya within the worldly order being discussed.
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