Shloka 96
भीष्मपर्व — अध्याय 54: फल्गुन-प्रतिरोधः, सौबली-व्यूह-विध्वंसः, दुर्योधन-भीष्म-संवादः
न त्वेतान् पृथिवीपालान दातुं भीष्माय मृत्यवे । 4वार्ष्णेय! अब मैं वनको चला जाऊँगा। वहीं जीवन बिताना मेरे लिये कल्याणकारी होगा। इन भूपालोंको व्यर्थ ही भीष्मरूपी मृत्युको सौंप देनेमें कोई भलाई नहीं है
na tv etān pṛthivīpālān dātuṁ bhīṣmāya mṛtyave | vārṣṇeya! ahaṁ vanaṁ gamiṣyāmi | tatraiva jīvanaṁ me kalyāṇakaraṁ bhaviṣyati | ime bhūpālā vyarthaṁ bhīṣma-rūpiṇe mṛtyave samarpayituṁ na śreyasī ||
三阇耶说道：“然而我决不把这些大地之王交给毗湿摩，如同交给死亡本身。噢，瓦尔什涅耶啊，我将入林而去；在林中度尽余生，于我反为吉祥。将这些君王徒然托付给化作毗湿摩的死亡，并无真实利益。”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical refusal to participate in futile slaughter: when an action only delivers others into certain death without dharmic gain, withdrawal and a life of restraint (symbolized by going to the forest) is presented as the wiser course.
Sañjaya voices a resolve not to consign allied kings to destruction by Bhīṣma—depicted as Death incarnate on the battlefield—and declares an intention to retire to the forest, judging that course more beneficial than continuing a hopeless, wasteful commitment to war.