Shloka 4

Udyoga Parva, Adhyāya 72 — Bhīmasena’s counsel on conciliation and Duryodhana’s disposition

Devanagari script

जयो वधो वा संग्रामे धात्रा5डदिष्ट: सनातन: । स्वधर्म: क्षत्रियस्यैष कार्पण्यं न प्रशस्यते,उसके लिये विधाताने यही सनातन कर्तव्य बताया है कि वह संग्राममें विजय प्राप्त करे अथवा वहीं प्राण दे दे। यही क्षत्रियका स्वधर्म है। दीनता अथवा कायरता उसके लिये प्रशंसाकी वस्तु नहीं है

Transliteration

jayo vadho vā saṅgrāme dhātrā diṣṭaḥ sanātanaḥ | svadharmaḥ kṣatriyasyaiṣa kārpaṇyaṃ na praśasyate ||

Translation

In battle, either victory or death has been ordained by the Creator as the timeless lot. This is the kṣatriya’s own duty: to fight on. For him, faint-heartedness—cowardly self-pity—is not something worthy of praise.

Word by Word

• जयः: victory
• जयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वधः: death/slaying
• वधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• संग्रामे: in battle
• संग्रामे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्राम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• धात्रा: by the Ordainer/Creator
• धात्रा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धातृ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• आदिष्टः: ordained/commanded
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दिश्
• Form: kta (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सनातनः: eternal/ancient
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वधर्मः: one's own duty
• स्वधर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षत्रियस्य: of a kshatriya
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• एषः: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कार्पण्यम्: cowardice/pusillanimity
• कार्पण्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्पण्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• प्रशस्यते: is praised/approved
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + शंस्
• Form: Lat (present), Atmanepada, Third, Singular, Passive/impersonal sense (praśasyate = is praised/approved)

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dhātṛ (the Creator/Ordainer)
• kṣatriya (warrior class)