Shloka 57

Devanagari script

यदा शूरं च भीरुं च मारयत्यन्तको यम: । को नु मूढो न युध्येत मादृश: क्षत्रियव्रत:

Transliteration

yadā śūraṃ ca bhīruṃ ca mārayaty antako yamaḥ | ko nu mūḍho na yudhyeta mādṛśaḥ kṣatriya-vrataḥ ||

Translation

जब प्राणियों का अन्त करनेवाला यमराज शूरवीर और कायर—दोनों को ही मार डालता है, तब मेरे-जैसे क्षत्रिय-व्रत का पालन करनेवाला कौन ऐसा मूढ़ होगा जो युद्ध न करे?

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा

• शूरम्: a brave man
• शूरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• भीरुम्: a coward
• भीरुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीरु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मारयति: kills / causes to die
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (मारयति = causative of √मृ)
• Form: Present, Indicative, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अन्तकः: Death (the end-maker)
• अन्तकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नु: indeed / then (interrogative particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु

• मूढः: deluded, foolish
• मूढः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• युध्येत: would fight
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध्
• Form: Present, Optative, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• मादृशः: like me / of my kind
• मादृशः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मादृश
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• क्षत्रियव्रतः: one whose vow/duty is that of a kshatriya
• क्षत्रियव्रतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षत्रियव्रत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Yama
• Antaka (Death)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Death comes to all—brave and fearful alike—so a kṣatriya should not abandon his ordained duty out of fear; refusing battle would be delusion when one is bound by the warrior’s vow.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of the Karṇa Parva battle account, Sañjaya reports a martial exhortation framed as a reflection on mortality: since Yama takes everyone, a warrior committed to kṣatriya-dharma must fight rather than shrink back.