Shloka 29

Devanagari script

पराजयो वा मृत्युर्वा श्रेयान्‌ मृत्युने निर्जय: । विजिताश्चारयो होते शस्त्रोत्स्गान्मृतोपमा:,“पराजय हो या मृत्यु, इनमें मृत्यु ही श्रेष्ठ है, पराजय नहीं। ये सारे शत्रु हार गये थे; हथियार डालकर मुर्देके समान हो गये थे”

Transliteration

parājayo vā mṛtyur vā śreyān mṛtyunā nirjayaḥ | vijitāś cārayo hote śastrotsargān mṛtopamāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : «Qu’il s’agisse de défaite ou de mort, la mort vaut mieux — jamais la défaite. Les ennemis, une fois vaincus, avaient jeté leurs armes et demeuraient tels des morts.»

Word by Word

पराजयःdefeat

वाor

मृत्युःdeath

वाor

श्रेयान्better, preferable

मृत्युनाthan death / by death

निर्जयःdefeat, loss (lit. non-victory)

विजिताःconquered, defeated

चand

अरयःenemies

होतेwere/are (became)

शस्त्रweapons

उत्सृज्यhaving cast away, abandoning

मृतdead

उपमाःlike, comparable to

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

enemies (arayaḥ)

weapons (śastra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse voices a kṣatriya ideal: in a righteous warrior code, accepting death can be more honorable than living with defeat. It frames moral resolve in battle—steadfastness and refusal to submit to humiliation—as a valued virtue.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the opposing warriors had been overcome: they dropped their weapons and became motionless and helpless, ‘like the dead,’ indicating complete subjugation and loss of fighting spirit.