Shloka 44

Devanagari script

संग्रामे क्रियतां यत्नो ब्रवीम्येष पुन: पुन: । पाण्डवेभ्य: शिवं वो<स्तु शस्त्रमभ्युत्सूजाम्यहम्‌,“कर्ण! कर्ण! महाधनुर्धर कृपाचार्य! और दुर्योधन! अब तुमलोग स्वयं ही युद्धमें विजय पानेके लिये प्रयत्न करो, यही मैं तुमसे बारंबार कहता हूँ। पाण्डवोंसे तुम-लोगोंका कल्याण हो। अब मैं अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंका त्याग कर रहा हूँ!

Transliteration

saṅgrāme kriyatāṃ yatno bravīmyeṣa punaḥ punaḥ | pāṇḍavebhyaḥ śivaṃ vo 'stu śastram abhyutsṛjāmy aham ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Let effort be made in battle—this is what I tell you again and again. May there be well-being for you even from the Pāṇḍavas. As for me, I now lay down my weapons.”

Word by Word

• {'saṅgrāme': 'in battle, in the war', 'kriyatām': 'let it be done

• let it be undertaken (imperative/passive)', 'yatnaḥ': 'effort, exertion, determined attempt', 'bravīmi': 'I say, I declare', 'eṣa': 'this (very statement/point)', 'punaḥ punaḥ': 'again and again, repeatedly', 'pāṇḍavebhyaḥ': 'for/to the Pāṇḍavas

• from the Pāṇḍavas (context-dependent)', 'śivam': 'well-being, auspiciousness, welfare', 'vo': 'for you (plural)', 'astu': 'may it be

• let it be', 'śastram': 'weapon(s), arms', 'abhyutsṛjāmi': 'I cast aside, I renounce, I lay down', 'aham': 'I'}

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pāṇḍavas
• weapons (śastra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid war, the verse highlights two ethical notes: (1) victory depends on one’s own sustained effort (yatna) rather than mere reliance on others, and (2) a surprising wish of welfare (śivam) toward the opposing side underscores a residual moral awareness that can persist even in conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a moment of withdrawal: after repeatedly urging renewed exertion in battle, the speaker declares that he is laying down his weapons, signaling exhaustion, disillusionment, or refusal to continue fighting.