Shloka 26

Devanagari script

श्रान्ता भवन्तो निद्रान्धा: सर्व एव सवाहना: । तमसा च वृते सैन्ये रजसा बहुलेन च,'सैनिको! तुम सब लोग अपने वाहनोंसहित थक गये हो और नींदसे अन्धे हो रहे हो। इधर यह सारी सेना घोर अन्धकार और बहुत-सी धूलसे ढक गयी है। अतः यदि तुम ठीक समझो तो युद्ध बंद कर दो और दो घड़ीतक इस रणभूमिमें ही सो लो

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

śrāntā bhavanto nidrāndhāḥ sarva eva savāhanāḥ |

tamasā ca vṛte sainye rajasā bahulena ca ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “All of you, together with your mounts and vehicles, are exhausted and blinded by sleep. And this entire host is shrouded in darkness and thick dust. In such a condition, if you judge it proper, cease the fighting and rest here on the battlefield for a short while.”

Word by Word

श्रान्ताःwearied, exhausted

भवन्तःyou (honorific), sirs

निद्रान्धाःblinded by sleep, sleep-dazed

सर्वेall

एवindeed, just

सवाहनाःtogether with (your) vehicles/mounts

तमसाby darkness

चand

वृतेwhen/where (it is) covered

सैन्येin the army

रजसाby dust

बहुलेनabundant, thick

चand

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

army (sainya)

vehicles/mounts (vāhana)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid war, judgment must account for human limits and battlefield realities; when exhaustion, darkness, and confusion prevail, restraint and a pause can be the more ethical and effective course than blind continuation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the troops, along with their mounts and vehicles, have become exhausted and drowsy, while the army is obscured by darkness and heavy dust—conditions that make fighting ineffective and dangerous—prompting counsel to halt and rest briefly.