सर्वेषाम् एष वै पन्थाः शूराणाम् अनिवर्तिनाम् ॥
क्षत्रियाणां विशेषेण येषां युद्धेन जीविका ॥
एषा वै युध्यमानानां शूराणाम् अनिवर्तिनाम् ॥
विहिता धर्मशास्त्रज्ञैर् गतिर् गतिमतां वर ॥
ध्रुवं युद्धे हि मरणं शूराणाम् अनिवर्तिनाम् ॥
गतः पुण्यकृतां लोकान् अभिमन्युर् न संशयः ॥
sarveṣām eṣa vai panthāḥ śūrāṇām anivartinām ||
kṣatriyāṇāṃ viśeṣeṇa yeṣāṃ yuddhena jīvikā ||
eṣā vai yudhyamānānāṃ śūrāṇām anivartinām ||
vihitā dharmaśāstrajñair gatir gatimatāṃ vara ||
dhruvaṃ yuddhe hi maraṇaṃ śūrāṇām anivartinām ||
gataḥ puṇyakṛtāṃ lokān abhimanyur na saṃśayaḥ ||
"Such is truly the path of all unyielding heroes, of kshatriyas especially, for whom war is a trade. Such is the lot of those who battle, unyielding heroes who do not turn their backs, laid down by knowers of dharma, O foremost of those who walk the way. For death in battle is certain for unyielding heroes; and Abhimanyu, without doubt, has ascended to the worlds of the righteous."
05272051b00d · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:30:04 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Krishna places the boy's death in the light of law: "dhruvaṃ yuddhe maraṇaṃ śūrāṇām anivartinām" — for a hero who does not turn his back, death in battle is inevitable and not accidental, but is "gatiḥ", the appointed path. And the conclusion is firm: "gataḥ puṇyakṛtāṃ lokān… na saṃśayaḥ", "he has ascended to the worlds of the righteous — there is no doubt". It is telling that the Lord consoles not by denying death but by disclosing its meaning within dharma. The verse teaches that grief is tamed by knowledge: what to a blind eye is senseless death, to a seeing eye is the fulfillment of duty and the gateway to the worlds of the blessed.