Shloka 263

Devanagari script

अर्जुन योधयन्ति स्म क्षत्रिया: कालचोदिता: । वे कालप्रेरित क्षत्रिय अर्जुनपर बड़े-बड़े अस्त्रोंकी वर्षा करते हुए उनके साथ युद्ध करने लगे

Transliteration

arjunaṃ yodhayanti sma kṣatriyāḥ kālacoditāḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: Driven onward by the compulsion of Time, the kṣatriya warriors set upon Arjuna and engaged him in battle, showering him with mighty missiles—an image of war where human will is pressed into the larger, fated momentum of destruction.

Word by Word

अर्जुनम्Arjuna (as the object)

योधयन्तिwere causing to fight / were fighting (against)

स्मindeed; (particle marking past narration)

क्षत्रियाःthe Kshatriyas / warriors

कालचोदिताःimpelled by Time (fate)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Kṣatriyas

Kāla (Time/Destiny)

Sañjaya

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 foregrounds kāla (Time) as a compelling force behind human conflict: even mighty warriors act as if driven by destiny. Ethically, it frames the battle as not merely personal hostility but part of a larger, inexorable unfolding—inviting reflection on agency, responsibility, and the tragic momentum of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that kṣatriya fighters, stirred by the force of Time, close in on Arjuna and engage him, attacking with powerful weapons and missiles as the battle intensifies around him.