Shloka 29

Devanagari script

त्वमप्याशंसये योद्धुं कुलज: क्षत्रियो हासि । इमान्‌ कि क्षत्रियान्‌ सर्वान्‌ घातयिष्यस्यनागस:,“तुम भी जाओ, अपने हितके लिये कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुनको शीघ्र ही मार डालो। तुम भी तो कुलीन क्षत्रिय हो। मैं आशा करता हूँ, तुममें भी युद्ध करनेकी शक्ति है ही, फिर इन सम्पूर्ण निरपराध क्षत्रियोंको क्‍यों व्यर्थ कटवाओगे?

Transliteration

tvam apy āśaṃsaye yoddhuṃ kulajaḥ kṣatriyo hāsi | imān ki kṣatriyān sarvān ghātayiṣyasy anāgasaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “I, too, expect you to fight—for you are a well-born Kṣatriya. Why would you have all these Kṣatriyas, who are without fault, be cut down in vain? Go yourself and swiftly strike down Arjuna, the son of Kuntī, for your own advantage.”

Word by Word

• {'tvam api': 'you too', 'āśaṃsaye': 'I hope

• I look for (from you)', 'yoddhum': 'to fight', 'kulajaḥ': 'well-born

• of noble lineage', 'kṣatriyaḥ': 'a warrior-noble

• member of the Kṣatriya class', 'ha asi (hāsi)': 'indeed you are', 'imān': 'these', 'kim': 'why? for what reason?', 'kṣatriyān sarvān': 'all the Kṣatriyas', 'ghātayiṣyasi': 'you will cause to be slain

• you will have (them) killed', 'anāgasaḥ': 'blameless

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Kṣatriyas
• Arjuna
• Kuntī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical critique of indirect or avoidable slaughter: if one claims Kṣatriya capability and lineage, one should face the principal opponent rather than allow many blameless warriors to be destroyed. It highlights accountability for violence and the moral weight of causing others to be killed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a taunting or exhortative address urging a warrior to engage directly in battle. The speaker appeals to Kṣatriya identity (“well-born Kṣatriya”) and questions the sense of letting numerous innocent Kṣatriyas die, urging instead the swift killing of Arjuna (Kuntī’s son) for one’s own gain.