परित्यज्य प्रियान् प्राणान् रणे विचर वीरवत् ॥
न हि शैनेय दाशार्हा रणे रक्षन्ति जीवितम् ॥
अयुद्धम् अनवस्थानं संग्रामे च पलायनम् ॥
भीरूणाम् असतां मार्गो नैष दाशार्हसेवितः ॥
तवार्जुनो गुरुस् तात धर्मात्मा शिनिपुंगव ॥
वासुदेवो गुरुश् चापि तव पार्थस्य धीमतः ॥
कारणद्वयम् एतद् धि जानानस् त्वाहम् अब्रुवम् ॥
मावमंस्था वचो मह्यं गुरुस् तव गुरोर् ह्य् अहम् ॥
वासुदेवमतं चैतन् मम चैवार्जुनस्य च ॥
सत्यम् एतन् मयोक्तं ते याहि यत्र धनंजयः ॥
parityajya priyān prāṇān raṇe vicara vīravat ||
na hi śaineya dāśārhā raṇe rakṣanti jīvitam ||
ayuddham anavasthānaṃ saṃgrāme ca palāyanam ||
bhīrūṇām asatāṃ mārgo naiṣa dāśārhasevitaḥ ||
tavārjuno gurus tāta dharmātmā śinipuṃgava ||
vāsudevo guruś cāpi tava pārthasya dhīmataḥ ||
kāraṇadvayam etad dhi jānānas tvāham abruvam ||
māvamaṃsthā vaco mahyaṃ gurus tava guror hy aham ||
vāsudevamataṃ caitan mama caivārjunasya ca ||
satyam etan mayoktaṃ te yāhi yatra dhanaṃjayaḥ ||
"Giving up dear life, range through the battle like a hero, for, O descendant of Shini, the Dasharhas do not guard their life in battle. Avoidance of battle, unsteadiness, and flight in the fray are the path of cowards, of the unworthy, never trodden by the Dasharhas. Your Arjuna is a teacher, O honored one, righteous of soul, O bull of the line of Shini; and Vasudeva is teacher both to you and to the wise Partha. Knowing this twofold reason, I have said this to you: do not disdain my word, for I am the teacher of your teacher. And this is Vasudeva's own opinion, and mine, and Arjuna's; truly this is spoken by me to you — go where Dhananjaya is."
6145dfacc1a1 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:02:23 PM UTC
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The appeal is sealed by the highest authority: 'vāsudevamataṃ ca etat' — this is the will of Vasudeva Himself. Yudhishthira calls not by his own authority alone, but through the united accord of Krishna, Arjuna, and himself. It is telling that the way of the Dasharhas is 'raṇe rakṣanti jīvitam' — not to guard one's life, while flight is 'bhīrūṇāṃ asatāṃ mārgaḥ', the path of cowards and the base. The verse teaches that what the Lord commands and the righteous agree upon admits no evasion; and the true path of the devoted is to give oneself without regard for life, for behind a word in which Krishna and the righteous concur stands dharma itself.