दृष्ट्वा दुःशासनं राजा तथा शरशताचितम् ॥
त्रिगर्तांश् चोदयाम् आस युयुधानरथं प्रति ॥
ते ऽगच्छन् युयुधानस्य समीपं क्रूरकारिणः ॥
त्रिगर्तानां त्रिसाहस्रा रथा युद्धविशारदाः ॥
ते तु तं रथवंशेन महता पर्यवारयन् ॥
स्थिरां कृत्वा मतिं युद्धे भूत्वा संशप्तका मिथः ॥
dṛṣṭvā duḥśāsanaṃ rājā tathā śaraśatācitam ||
trigartāṃś codayām āsa yuyudhānarathaṃ prati ||
te 'gacchan yuyudhānasya samīpaṃ krūrakāriṇaḥ ||
trigartānāṃ trisāhasrā rathā yuddhaviśāradāḥ ||
te tu taṃ rathavaṃśena mahatā paryavārayan ||
sthirāṃ kṛtvā matiṃ yuddhe bhūtvā saṃśaptakā mithaḥ ||
Seeing Duhshasana thus studded with hundreds of arrows, the king urged the Trigartas against Yuyudhana's chariot. They, cruel in deed, drew near to Yuyudhana -- three thousand chariots of the Trigartas, skilled in war. They surrounded him with a vast array of chariots, having made their resolve firm in battle and having bound themselves to one another by oath, becoming Samshaptakas.
394d74ac4997 · published Jul 19, 2026, 4:08:02 PM UTC
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The Trigartas bind themselves by "saṃśaptakāḥ mithaḥ," a mutual oath unto death: their resolve is firm, yet given over to an unjust cause. It is notable that even self-sacrifice can be pressed into the service of delusion. The verse teaches that the firmness of an oath is sacred only insofar as the cause is right: those who swear to die for the unjust only multiply pointless sacrifice, for valor given to adharma does not crown a man but destroys him.