Shloka 25
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
कथं पारमगत्वा हि युद्धे त्वं वै जिजीविषु: । इमान् निपतितान दृष्ट्वा पुत्रान् भ्रातृन् पितूंस्तथा
sañjaya uvāca | kathaṁ pāram agatvā hi yuddhe tvaṁ vai jijīviṣuḥ | imān nipatitān dṛṣṭvā putrān bhrātṝn pitṝṁs tathā |
三阇耶说道：“你尚未抵达彼岸——尚未将战事坚持到终局——如今怎会忽然执意保全性命？眼见这些儿子、兄弟与长辈倒毙于战场，你怎还能贪恋生存？”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical rebuke: after so much kin-slaying and devastation, seeking personal survival before completing one’s martial responsibility is portrayed as morally incoherent. It highlights the tension between self-preservation and the kṣatriya ideal of steadfastness and accountability in war.
Sañjaya reports a pointed question addressed to a warrior who, despite the battlefield being strewn with fallen relatives (sons, brothers, elders), now appears to be trying to save himself rather than face the battle to its conclusion. The line underscores the grim aftermath of the war and condemns retreat or hiding at this stage.