दीर्यमाणं बलं दृष्ट्वा सौभद्रे विनिपातिते ॥
अजातशत्रुः स्वान् वीरान् इदं वचनम् अब्रवीत् ॥
स्वर्गम् एष गतः शूरो यो हतो नपराङ्मुखः ॥
संस्तम्भयत मा भैष्ट विजेष्यामो रणे रिपून् ॥
इत्य् एवं स महातेजा दुःखितेभ्यो महाद्युतिः ॥
धर्मराजो युधां श्रेष्ठो ब्रुवन् दुःखम् अपानुदत् ॥
dīryamāṇaṃ balaṃ dṛṣṭvā saubhadre vinipātite ||
ajātaśatruḥ svān vīrān idaṃ vacanam abravīt ||
svargam eṣa gataḥ śūro yo hato naparāṅmukhaḥ ||
saṃstambhayata mā bhaiṣṭa vijeṣyāmo raṇe ripūn ||
ity evaṃ sa mahātejā duḥkhitebhyo mahādyutiḥ ||
dharmarājo yudhāṃ śreṣṭho bruvan duḥkham apānudat ||
Beholding the crumbling host at Saubhadra's fall, Ajatashatru spoke these words to his own warriors: "He has ascended to heaven, this warrior, for he fell without turning his face away. Take heart, fear not — we shall prevail over the enemy in battle." So speaking, the mighty and resplendent King of Dharma, foremost of warriors, dispelled the sorrow of the grieving.
5d752a816327 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:04 PM UTC
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Yudhishthira does not deny the loss but sets it in the light of the higher law: "svargam eṣa gataḥ… na parāṅmukhaḥ" — one who falls facing the enemy ascends to heaven. This is the very essence of the kshatriya's dharma: death in battle without retreat is not defeat but a gateway. It is telling that the leader heals grief not with a false comfort but with truth — and thereby raises the spirit of the army. Here the verse teaches that true leadership lies in giving sorrow its right name: not "all is lost," but "he has gone where the faithful go."