Shloka 71

Devanagari script

नैवाहितानां सततं विपद्षित: क्षणं प्रतीक्षन्त्यपि दुर्बलीयसाम्‌ । विशेषतो<रीन्‌ व्यसनेषु पण्डितो निहत्य धर्म च यशश्न विन्दते,“विद्वान्‌ पुरुष कभी दुर्बल-से-दुर्बल शत्रुओंको भी नष्ट करनेके लिये किसी अवसरकी प्रतीक्षा नहीं करते। विशेषत: संकटमें पड़े हुए शत्रुओंको मारकर बुद्धिमान्‌ पुरुष धर्म और यशका भागी होता है

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

naivāhitānāṃ satataṃ vipatsthitaḥ kṣaṇaṃ pratīkṣanty api durbalīyasām |

viśeṣato 'rīn vyasaneṣu paṇḍito nihatya dharmaṃ ca yaśaś ca vindate ||

Translation

Orang bijak tidak menunggu walau sekejap pun untuk menemukan celah demi membinasakan musuh—betapa pun lemahnya musuh itu. Terlebih lagi, dengan menumbangkan lawan yang telah jatuh ke dalam malapetaka, seorang yang arif dipandang meraih dharma dan kemasyhuran.

Word by Word

• {'sañjaya uvāca': 'Sanjaya said', 'na eva': 'not at all

• by no means', 'āhitānām': 'of those who are set against (as enemies)

• hostile persons', 'satataṃ': 'always

• continually', 'vipat-sthitaḥ / vipatsthitaḥ': 'being in misfortune

• situated in calamity', 'kṣaṇam': 'a moment', 'pratīkṣanti': 'they wait for

• they look for (an opportunity)', 'api': 'even', 'durbalīyasām': 'of the weaker

• of very weak (enemies)', 'viśeṣataḥ': 'especially

• in particular', 'arīn': 'enemies (accusative plural of ari)', 'vyasaneṣu': 'in distresses

• in calamities (locative plural)', 'paṇḍitaḥ': 'a wise man

• a discerning person', 'nihatya': 'having slain

• having struck down', 'dharmaṃ': 'dharma

• righteous order', 'yaśaḥ': 'fame

• glory', 'vindate': 'obtains

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sanjaya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a hard-edged kṣatriya/political ethic: a wise warrior does not delay in neutralizing enemies, and considers the decisive elimination of foes—especially when they are already in adversity—as a means to secure dharma (the perceived right course for protection and order) and yaśas (renown).

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya, narrating the battlefield events to Dhritarashtra, articulates a principle of wartime conduct and strategy: do not wait for opportunities when dealing with enemies; act swiftly, even against weakened opponents, and such action is framed as bringing both righteousness (as understood in the warrior context) and fame.