Shloka 256

Devanagari script

दिष्टया विनिहतः पापो वृद्धक्षत्र: सहात्मज: । “विजयशील अर्जुन! बड़े सौभाग्यकी बात है कि तुमने अपनी बड़ी भारी प्रतिज्ञा पूरी कर ली। सौभाग्यसे पापी वृद्धक्षत्र पुत्रसहित मारा गया

Transliteration

diṣṭyā vinihataḥ pāpo vṛddhakṣatraḥ sahātmajaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “By good fortune, the sinful Vṛddhakṣatra has been slain, together with his son. O Arjuna, steadfast in victory, it is indeed a great blessing that you have fulfilled your formidable vow.”

Word by Word

दिष्टयाfortunately; by good luck

विनिहतःslain; killed

पापःsinful; wicked

वृद्धक्षत्रःVṛddhakṣatra (name)

सहtogether with

आत्मजःson; offspring

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Arjuna

Vṛddhakṣatra

Vṛddhakṣatra's son

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?

The verse highlights the ethical weight of a warrior’s vow and the belief that righteous resolve, once undertaken, must be carried through; it also frames the enemy’s death as a providential outcome (diṣṭyā), linking human effort with fate.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Vṛddhakṣatra—described as sinful—has been killed along with his son, and he praises Arjuna for successfully completing a major battlefield vow connected with this killing.