Shloka 81

Vāsudeva-Māhātmya: Duryodhana’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Theological Account of Keśava

Devanagari script

क्व क्षत्रिया यास्यथ नैष धर्म: सतां पुरस्तात्‌ कथित: पुराणै: । मा स्वां प्रतिज्ञां त्यजत प्रवीरा: स्व वीरधर्म परिपालयध्वम्‌,'क्षत्रियो! कहाँ जा रहे हो? प्राचीन महापुरुषों-द्वारा यह श्रेष्ठ क्षत्रियोंका धर्म नहीं बताया गया है। वीरो! अपनी प्रतिज्ञा न छोड़ो, अपने वीर धर्मका पालन करो”

Transliteration

kva kṣatriyā yāsyatha naiṣa dharmaḥ satāṃ purastāt kathitaḥ purāṇaiḥ | mā svāṃ pratijñāṃ tyajata pravīrāḥ sva vīradharmaṃ paripālayadhvam ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Where are you kṣatriyas going? This is not the dharma that the ancients, the noble ones of old, proclaimed before the righteous. O foremost of heroes, do not abandon your own vow; uphold your warrior’s code and stand firm in your valor.”

Word by Word

• {'kva': 'where?', 'kṣatriyāḥ': 'kṣatriyas

• warrior-nobles', 'yāsyatha': 'you are going / will you go', 'na': 'not', 'eṣaḥ dharmaḥ': 'this dharma

• this rightful conduct', 'satām': 'of the good/noble

• of the virtuous', 'purastāt': 'formerly

• before (in time)', 'kathitaḥ': 'told, declared, taught', 'purāṇaiḥ': 'by the ancients

• by men of old/tradition-bearers', 'mā': 'do not (prohibitive)', 'svām': 'one’s own', 'pratijñām': 'vow, pledge, solemn promise', 'tyajata': 'abandon, give up', 'pravīrāḥ': 'great heroes

• eminent warriors', 'vīradharmam': 'heroic/warrior duty

• code of valor', 'paripālayadhvam': 'uphold, protect, observe (2nd pl. imperative)'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• kṣatriyas (warriors)