Shloka 3

अल्पकालं जीवितं यन्मनुष्ये महास्रावं नित्यदुः:खं चल॑ च । भूयश्व तद्‌ यशसो नानुरूपं तस्मात्‌ पाप॑ पाण्डव मा कृथास्त्वम्‌,मनुष्यका जो यह जीवन है, वह बहुत थोड़े समयतक रहनेवाला है। इसको क्षीण करनेवाले महान्‌ दोष इसे प्राप्त होते रहते हैं। यह सदा दुःखमय और चंचल है। अतः पाण्डुनन्दन! आप युद्धरूपी पाप न कीजिये। वह आपके सुयशके अनुरूप नहीं है

sañjaya uvāca | alpākālaṃ jīvitaṃ yan manuṣye mahāsrāvaṃ nityaduḥkhaṃ calaṃ ca | bhūyaś ca tad yaśaso nānurūpaṃ tasmāt pāpa pāṇḍava mā kṛthās tvam ||

Sañjaya sprach: „Das Menschenleben ist kurz. Es wird unablässig von großen Leiden aufgezehrt; es ist stets von Kummer beladen und schwankend. Zudem steht eine solche Tat nicht im Einklang mit deinem guten Ruf. Darum, o Pāṇḍava, begehe nicht die Sünde des Krieges.“

अल्पकालम्for a short time
अल्पकालम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअल्पकाल
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
जीवितम्life
जीवितम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootजीवित
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
यत्which
यत्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
मनुष्येin a human (being)
मनुष्ये:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootमनुष्य
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
महास्रावम्greatly draining/decaying
महास्रावम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootमहास्राव
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
नित्यदुःखम्ever-sorrowful
नित्यदुःखम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootनित्यदुःख
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
चलम्unstable, fickle
चलम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootचल
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
भूयःmoreover, further
भूयः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootभूयस्
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
तत्that (life/that act)
तत्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
यशसःof fame, of glory
यशसः:
TypeNoun
Rootयशस्
FormNeuter, Genitive, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
अनुरूपम्befitting, suitable
अनुरूपम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअनुरूप
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
तस्मात्therefore, from that reason
तस्मात्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतस्मात् (तद्)
पापम्sin, evil (deed)
पापम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootपाप
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
पाण्डवO Pāṇḍava
पाण्डव:
TypeNoun
Rootपाण्डव
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
माdo not (prohibitive)
मा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमा
कृथाःdo, make
कृथाः:
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
FormImperative (prohibitive with मा), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada
त्वम्you
त्वम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootत्वद्
FormNominative, Singular

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
P
Pāṇḍava (descendant of Pāṇḍu)

Educational Q&A

Because human life is short, sorrowful, and unstable, one should avoid actions that add grave moral burden—especially war—when such action is not aligned with one’s dharma and good reputation (yaśas).

Sañjaya voices a moral warning addressed to a Pāṇḍava: he emphasizes the fragility of human life and urges restraint, advising that undertaking war would be a sinful act and unbecoming of the Pāṇḍava’s established fame.