Mahabharata 9.64.17 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 64, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अभिशनज्ञौ युद्धधर्मस्य मम माता पिता च मे

Transliteration

abhiśanajñau yuddhadharmasya mama mātā pitā ca me |

Translation

قال سنجيا: «إن أمي وأبي عالمان بدَرْمَةِ الحرب. فإذا سمعا خبر موتي غمرهما الحزن. فبلّغهما، بطلبٍ مني، هذه الرسالة: أنني أقمتُ القرابين، وكفلتُ من يستحق النفقة، وحكمتُ الأرض حكمًا حسنًا حتى حدود البحر.»

Word by Word

• अभिशनज्ञौ: well-versed, expert
• अभिशनज्ञौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिशनज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• युद्धधर्मस्य: of the duty/law of war
• युद्धधर्मस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्धधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• mother of Sañjaya
• father of Sañjaya
• earth (Pṛthivī)
• ocean (Samudra)
• yajñas (sacrifices)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ideal of kṣatriya life: even in the face of death, one seeks to be remembered for adherence to yuddha-dharma, performance of yajñas, protection of dependents, and righteous governance—ethical duty outweighing personal fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shalya Parva war setting, Sañjaya speaks of a warrior anticipating death and instructing that a consoling message be delivered to his parents: that his life was spent in religious duty, social responsibility, and proper rule, even though the news will cause them grief.