Shloka 61

यदा बाल: सुभद्राया: सुतः शस्त्रविना कृत: । युष्माभिनििहतो युद्धे तदा धर्म: क्व वो गत:,जब तुमलोगोंने सुभद्राके बालक पुत्र अभिमन्युको युद्धमें शस्त्रहीन करके मार डाला था, उस समय तुम्हारा धर्म कहाँ चला गया था?

yadā bālaḥ subhadrāyāḥ sutaḥ śastravinā kṛtaḥ | yuṣmābhir nihato yuddhe tadā dharmaḥ kva vo gataḥ ||

Sañjaya said: “When Subhadrā’s young son was rendered weaponless and then slain by you in battle, where had your dharma gone at that moment?”

यदाwhen
यदा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयदा
बालःthe boy/young one
बालः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootबाल
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सुभद्रायाःof Subhadrā
सुभद्रायाः:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootसुभद्रा
FormFeminine, Genitive, Singular
सुतःson
सुतः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसुत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
शस्त्र-विनाwithout weapons
शस्त्र-विना:
Karana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootशस्त्र + विना
कृतःmade (rendered)
कृतः:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootकृ
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
युष्माभिःby you (all)
युष्माभिः:
Karana
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
Form—, Instrumental, Plural
निहतःkilled/slain
निहतः:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootहन्
FormPast passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
युद्धेin battle
युद्धे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootयुद्ध
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
तदाthen/at that time
तदा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा
धर्मःdharma/righteousness
धर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
क्वwhere?
क्व:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootक्व
वःyour (of you all)
वः:
Sampradana
TypePronoun
Rootयुष्मद्
Form—, Genitive, Plural
गतःgone
गतः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootगम्
FormPast active participle (क्तवतु/क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

संजय उवाच

S
Sañjaya
S
Subhadrā
A
Abhimanyu
D
dharma
W
weapons (śastra)
B
battle (yuddha)

Educational Q&A

The verse condemns the violation of dharma in warfare: killing a young warrior after making him weaponless is portrayed as a moral collapse, and the question “where was your dharma?” exposes hypocrisy and ethical failure.

Sañjaya recalls the slaying of Abhimanyu—Subhadrā’s young son—who was overwhelmed and deprived of effective means of defense, and he uses this incident to challenge the opposing side’s claim to righteousness.