Царь тригартов (Сушарман)
शप्त्वा तु शपथान् घोरान् सर्वसैन्यस्य पश्यतः ॥
गत्वा दौर्योधनं सैन्यं किं वै वक्ष्यथ मुख्यगाः ॥
नावहास्याः कथं लोके कर्मणानेन संयुगे ॥
भवेम सहिताः सर्वे निवर्तध्वं यथाबलम् ॥
śaptvā tu śapathān ghorān sarvasainyasya paśyataḥ ||
gatvā dauryodhanaṃ sainyaṃ kiṃ vai vakṣyatha mukhyagāḥ ||
nāvahāsyāḥ kathaṃ loke karmaṇānena saṃyuge ||
bhavema sahitāḥ sarve nivartadhvaṃ yathābalam ||
'Having sworn terrible oaths before the eyes of the whole army, what will you say, O leaders, when you return to Duryodhana's camp? Lest we all together become a laughingstock before the world by this deed in battle! Turn back [to face the enemy] to the best of your strength.'
73d0f4dc809f · publicado 19 jul 2026, 15:00:04 UTC
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What moves the king in this hour of trial is not fidelity to dharma nor love of truth, but fear of shame: how shall we appear before Duryodhana, how avoid becoming a laughingstock? The valor he calls to awaken rests not on honor but on shame before others. It is telling that even this call to steadfastness is turned outward — toward the judgment of others, not toward one's own conscience. Thus courage that rests only on reputation shows itself: it can drive men into battle but does not sanctify it. The verse teaches us to distinguish valor born of truth from valor born of fear of censure; and though fear of shame can bring the fleeing man back into formation, the cause for which he returns is not thereby made right.