Shloka 266

Karma-Yoga, Yajña-Cakra, and the Governance of Desire (कर्मयोग–यज्ञचक्र–कामनिग्रह)

Devanagari script

श्वशूरान्‌ सुहृदश्चैव सेनयोरुभयोरपि । इसके बाद पृथापुत्र अर्जुनने उन दोनों ही सेनाओंमें स्थित ताऊ-चाचोंको, दादों-परदादोंको, गुरुओंको, मामाओंको, भाइयोंको, पुत्रोंको, पौत्रोंकी तथा मित्रोंकोी, ससुरोंको और सुहृदोंको भी देखा

Transliteration

śvaśūrān suhṛdaś caiva senayor ubhayor api |

Translation

Sanjaya sprach: Arjuna sah auch in beiden Heeren seine Schwiegerverwandten und seine Wohlgesinnten; und indem er unter den versammelten Kriegern jene erkannte, die ihn durch Blutsband und Zuneigung verbanden, vertiefte sich sein sittlicher Zwiespalt am Vorabend der Schlacht.

Word by Word

• श्वशूरान्: fathers-in-law
• श्वशूरान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वशुर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सुहृदः: well-wishers, friends
• सुहृदः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुहृद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• एव: indeed, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• सेनयोः: of (the two) armies
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेना
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Dual

• उभयोः: of both
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उभ
• Form: Masculine/Feminine/Neuter, Genitive, Dual

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya
• Arjuna
• the two armies (Kaurava and Pandava forces)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how dharma in war is complicated by personal relationships: seeing fathers-in-law and well-wishers on both sides intensifies Arjuna’s ethical crisis, setting the stage for reflection on duty versus attachment.

What is happening in the narrative?

As Arjuna surveys the battlefield, Sanjaya reports that he recognizes even marital elders and close well-wishers among the warriors in both armies, underscoring that the coming conflict is not against strangers but against kin and friends.