Shloka 36
इष्टापूर्तेन दानेन धर्मेण सुकृतेन च । अद्याहं सर्वपञ्चालान् वासुदेवस्य पश्यत:
iṣṭāpūrtena dānena dharmeṇa sukṛtena ca | adyāhaṃ sarvapañcālān vāsudevasya paśyataḥ ||
三阇耶说道：“凭我祭祀与济世之功的福德，凭我所施之布施，凭正法（达摩），并凭我所作一切善业，我起誓：今日——就在婆苏提婆眼前——我必用尽一切手段，将般遮罗人尽送阎摩之界。”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the cultural weight of oaths sworn on one’s accumulated merit (iṣṭa, āpūrta, dāna, dharma, sukṛta). It also exposes an ethical tension: invoking righteousness and merit to authorize a vow of mass killing shows how dharma-language can be used to intensify warlike resolve, inviting reflection on the proper use (or misuse) of moral capital.
In the midst of the Kurukṣetra war, a warrior (as reported by Sañjaya) makes a fierce vow: in Kṛṣṇa’s presence he will destroy the Pāñcālas and send them to Yama’s realm. The statement functions as a public challenge and a declaration of intent, escalating the conflict and signaling imminent violence against the Pāñcāla forces.