Shloka 12
अध्याय २६ — युद्ध-निन्दा, काम-दोष, तथा धार्तराष्ट्र-नीति-विश्लेषण
War-aversion, Desire as a Policy Fault, and Analysis of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Governance
इह क्षेत्रे क्रियते पार्थ कार्य न वै किज्चित् क्रियते प्रेत्य कार्यम् कृतं त्वया पारलौक्यं च कर्म पुण्यं महत् सद्धिरतिप्रशस्तम्
sañjaya uvāca | iha kṣetre kriyate pārtha kāryaṁ na vai kiñcit kriyate pretya kāryam | kṛtaṁ tvayā pāralaukyaṁ ca karma puṇyaṁ mahat saddhir atipraśastam |
三阇耶曰：“噢，帕尔塔啊，当行之事唯可在此——于具身之生的战场——得以成办；死后则无事可作。汝已成就大福德业，其果报在来世成熟，为诸善人屡屡称赞。”
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse stresses urgency in dharma: meaningful duty and meritorious action can be performed only while one is alive; after death, one cannot initiate new deeds. Therefore one should act rightly now, earning puṇya that benefits beyond this life.
Sanjaya addresses Partha (Arjuna), commending him for having already performed a great virtuous deed that brings otherworldly benefit, a deed praised by the righteous—framing Arjuna’s conduct in terms of timely, embodied moral action.