Shloka 30
Adhyāya 36: Ghora-yuddha-varṇanam
A Clinical Description of the Intensified Engagement
त॑ चेन्मृत्यु: सर्वहरो5भिरक्षेत् सदाप्रमत्त: समरे पाण्डुपुत्रम् । तं॑ वा हनिष्यामि रणे समेत्य यास्यामि वा भीष्ममुखो यमाय
taṁ cen mṛtyuḥ sarva-haro 'bhirakṣet sadā-pramattaḥ samare pāṇḍu-putram | taṁ vā haniṣyāmi raṇe sametya yāsyāmi vā bhīṣma-mukho yamāya ||
Sanjaya thưa: “Nếu Thần Chết—quyền lực cướp đoạt mọi sự—đứng canh chừng không ngơi trên chiến địa để bảo hộ con trai Pandu (Arjuna), thì ta vẫn sẽ đối mặt với kẻ hộ vệ ấy trong giao tranh: hoặc ta hạ gục Arjuna ngay tại đó, hoặc chính ta sẽ đi về cõi Yama, đến gặp Bhishma.”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the warrior’s (kṣatriya) ideal of unwavering resolve: even if the ultimate force—Death itself—were to shield an opponent, one must still face the challenge without fear. Ethically, it frames battlefield courage as readiness to accept the full consequence of one’s chosen duty, including death.
Sanjaya reports a fierce declaration made in the war context: the speaker vows to confront Arjuna regardless of any protection, even if that protection is personified Death. The vow is absolute—either victory over the protector or death and passage to Yama’s realm, where Bhishma is envisioned as already present.