Shloka 26
गदायुद्धप्रतिज्ञा — The Vow and Terms of the Mace Duel
सम्बन्धिनो वयस्यांश्व मातुलान् बान्धवांस्तथा । घातयित्वा कथं तात हदे तिष्ठसि साम्प्रतम्
saṃbandhino vayasyāṃś ca mātulān bāndhavāṃs tathā | ghātayitvā kathaṃ tāta hrade tiṣṭhasi sāmpratam ||
三阇耶说道：“你既已使自己的亲族、同伴、母舅以及诸般宗亲尽遭杀戮——亲爱的——如今怎还能躲在池水之中？既无所依，求生之念又怎会在你心中生起？眼见儿子、兄弟与伯叔倒在战场，为何在酿成亲朋宗族的屠戮之后，你却藏身水底？”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical weight of violence against one’s own kin and the moral incoherence of seeking personal survival or concealment after orchestrating widespread slaughter. It frames kinslaying as a deed that naturally invites shame, self-reproach, and questions about one’s right to continue living without atonement.
Sañjaya reports a rebuking address to a warrior who, after causing the deaths of relatives and close associates, is said to be hiding or remaining in a pond. The speaker challenges him: having seen sons, brothers, and paternal uncles fallen in battle, why does he now cling to life and conceal himself instead of facing the consequences.