Shloka 393

Devanagari script

शाश्च॒तं धर्ममुत्सज्य गुरु: शस्त्रेण घातित: । पुत्रवत्सल गुरुदेव बेटेके शोकमें मग्न होकर युद्धसे विमुख हो गये थे। उस अवस्थामें आपने सनातनधर्मकी अवहेलना करके उन्हें शस्त्रसे मरवा डाला

Transliteration

śāśvataṃ dharmam utsṛjya guruḥ śastreṇa ghātitaḥ |

Translation

Arjuna sprach: „Indem du das ewige Gesetz der Rechtschaffenheit beiseiteschobst, ließest du den Guru durch Waffen erschlagen. Obwohl er ein verehrter Lehrer war, seinem Sohn in väterlicher Liebe zugetan und von Kummer überwältigt — in diesem Zustand hatte er sich vom Kampf abgewandt — missachtetest du die zeitlosen Forderungen des Sanātana-Dharma und bewirktest, dass er getötet wurde.“

Word by Word

शाश्वतम्eternal

धर्मम्dharma, righteous duty

उत्सज्यhaving abandoned

गुरुःthe teacher

शस्त्रेणby a weapon

घातितःwas caused to be slain / was slain (by causing)

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Guru (Droṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, one must not abandon śāśvata-dharma—timeless ethical restraints. The verse frames the killing of a revered guru, especially when he is grief-stricken and withdrawn from combat, as a grave moral lapse and a violation of righteous conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is reproaching the act of having the Guru (Droṇa) killed by weapons, emphasizing that Droṇa—overcome by sorrow and affection for his son—had become disengaged from fighting, and that exploiting this condition to bring about his death amounted to setting aside dharma.