Shloka 47

Adhyāya 55: Pārtha–Rādheya Saṃvāda and Tactical Exchange

Chapter 55

Devanagari script

सदा ममैष मान्यस्तु सर्वशस्त्रभृतामपि । एतस्य त्वं रथं प्राप्य निवर्तेथा: पुनः पुन:

Transliteration

sadā mamaiva mānyas tu sarvaśastrabhṛtām api | etasya tvaṁ rathaṁ prāpya nivartethāḥ punaḥ punaḥ ||

Translation

Arjuna dit : «Il est toujours digne d’honneur pour moi—et pour tous ceux qui portent les armes. Même si vous parvenez près de son char, retirez-vous encore et encore.»

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'sadā', 'definition': 'always, at all times'}, {'term': 'mama', 'definition': 'for me, of me'}, {'term': 'eṣaḥ', 'definition': 'this person (here)'}, {'term': 'mānyaḥ', 'definition': 'honorable, worthy of respect'}, {'term': 'tu', 'definition': 'but/indeed (emphatic particle)'}, {'term': 'sarva-śastra-bhṛtām', 'definition': 'of all weapon-bearers

• of all armed warriors'}, {'term': 'api', 'definition': 'also, even'}, {'term': 'etasya', 'definition': 'of this one

• with regard to him'}, {'term': 'tvaṁ', 'definition': 'you'}, {'term': 'ratham', 'definition': 'chariot'}, {'term': 'prāpya', 'definition': 'having reached, approaching'}, {'term': 'nivartethāḥ', 'definition': 'you should turn back/withdraw (injunctive/optative sense)'}, {'term': 'punaḥ punaḥ', 'definition': 'again and again, repeatedly'}]

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• chariot (ratha)
• weapon-bearers/warriors (śastrabhṛt)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in conflict, dharma requires discernment and restraint: one must honor those who are worthy of respect (especially connected to one’s teachers and the warrior code) and avoid needless provocation, approaching only with caution and withdrawing when appropriate.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is instructing his companion (in the Virāṭa episode) about a formidable, respected warrior: even if they come close to that warrior’s chariot, they should repeatedly pull back—signaling both tactical prudence and an ethical recognition of the opponent’s venerable status.