Shloka 71

Devanagari script

नैवाहितानां सततं विपद्षित: क्षणं प्रतीक्षन्त्यपि दुर्बलीयसाम्‌ । विशेषतो<रीन्‌ व्यसनेषु पण्डितो निहत्य धर्म च यशश्न विन्दते

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

naivāhitānāṃ satataṃ vipatsthitaḥ kṣaṇaṃ pratīkṣanty api durbalīyasām |

viśeṣato 'rīn vyasaneṣu paṇḍito nihatya dharmaṃ ca yaśaś ca vindate ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: The wise do not wait even for a moment for an opening to destroy enemies—however weak those enemies may be. Above all, by striking down foes who have fallen into calamity, a discerning man is thought to win both dharma (right order, duty) and lasting fame.

Word by Word

• {'sañjaya uvāca': 'Sanjaya said', 'na eva': 'not at all

• by no means', 'āhitānām': 'of those who are set against (as enemies)

• hostile persons', 'satataṃ': 'always

• continually', 'vipat-sthitaḥ / vipatsthitaḥ': 'being in misfortune

• situated in calamity', 'kṣaṇam': 'a moment', 'pratīkṣanti': 'they wait for

• they look for (an opportunity)', 'api': 'even', 'durbalīyasām': 'of the weaker

• of very weak (enemies)', 'viśeṣataḥ': 'especially

• in particular', 'arīn': 'enemies (accusative plural of ari)', 'vyasaneṣu': 'in distresses

• in calamities (locative plural)', 'paṇḍitaḥ': 'a wise man

• a discerning person', 'nihatya': 'having slain

• having struck down', 'dharmaṃ': 'dharma

• righteous order', 'yaśaḥ': 'fame

• glory', 'vindate': 'obtains

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a hard-edged kṣatriya/political ethic: a wise warrior does not delay in neutralizing enemies, and considers the decisive elimination of foes—especially when they are already in adversity—as a means to secure dharma (the perceived right course for protection and order) and yaśas (renown).

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya, narrating the battlefield events to Dhritarashtra, articulates a principle of wartime conduct and strategy: do not wait for opportunities when dealing with enemies; act swiftly, even against weakened opponents, and such action is framed as bringing both righteousness (as understood in the warrior context) and fame.