Shloka 546

Devanagari script

मृतो दुःखं न जानीते प्रेत्य चानन्त्यम श्रुते । 'क्षत्रियधर्मके अनुसार युद्ध करनेवाले वीरोंके लिये संग्रामभूमिमें होनेवाली मृत्यु ही सुखद है; क्योंकि वहाँ मरा हुआ मनुष्य मृत्युके दुःखको नहीं जानता और मृत्युके पश्चात्‌ अक्षय सुखका भागी होता है

Transliteration

mṛto duḥkhaṃ na jānīte pretya cānantyam aśnute |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “One who has died does not feel the pain of death; and when he has departed this world, he attains unending, imperishable bliss. Therefore, for a hero who fights in accordance with kṣatriya-dharma, death on the battlefield is deemed auspicious—even desirable—for it is bound to honor, duty fulfilled, and the promised reward after death.”

Word by Word

मृतःa dead (person)

दुःखम्sorrow, pain

नnot

जानीतेknows, experiences

प्रेत्यhaving departed (i.e., after death)

चand

आनन्त्यम्endlessness, infinity (eternal state/bliss)

श्रुतेis heard of, is said to be obtained/known

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

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 asserts a kṣatriya-ethical ideal: a warrior who dies in righteous battle is not burdened by the felt misery of death and is believed to attain an imperishable posthumous good; therefore, such death is framed as honorable and spiritually beneficial.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating the events of the Kurukṣetra war, articulates a consolatory and motivational principle about battlefield death—presenting it as aligned with warrior duty and as leading to an enduring reward after death.