Shloka 49

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization

Devanagari script

युद्धे कृष्ण कलिरनर्नित्यं प्राणा: सीदन्ति संयुगे । बल॑ तु नीतिमाधाय युध्ये जयपराजयौ,श्रीकृष्ण! युद्धमें सदा कलह ही होता है और उसीके कारण प्राणोंका नाश होता है। मैं तो नीतिबलका ही आश्रय लेकर युद्ध करूँगा। फिर ईश्वरकी इच्छाके अनुसार जय हो या पराजय

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | yuddhe kṛṣṇa kalir anityaṁ prāṇāḥ sīdanti saṁyuge | balaṁ tu nītim ādhāya yudhye jayaparājayau śrīkṛṣṇa ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „O Kṛṣṇa, im Krieg herrscht stets Zwietracht, und im Zusammenprall der Schlacht werden Leben zermürbt und vernichtet. Darum werde ich kämpfen, gestützt allein auf die Kraft rechter Staatsklugheit und moralischer Zucht; und dann, o Śrī Kṛṣṇa, möge Sieg oder Niederlage nach dem Willen des Herrn kommen.“

Word by Word

युद्धेin battle

कृष्णO Krishna

कलिःstrife/quarrel

अनित्यंalways/constantly

प्राणाःlives/vital breaths

सीदन्तिperish/decline

संयुगेin combat

बलम्strength

तुbut/indeed

नीतिम्policy/right conduct

आधायhaving placed/taken up

युध्येI fight

जयvictory

पराजयौdefeat

श्रीकृष्णO Shri Krishna

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Kṛṣṇa (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

War inevitably breeds discord and loss of life; therefore one should act from nīti grounded in dharma, while remaining steady toward victory or defeat as outcomes beyond one’s control.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Kṛṣṇa, acknowledging the destructive nature of battle yet affirming that if fighting becomes unavoidable, he will do so guided by righteous policy and without attachment to the result.