Shloka 10

Devanagari script

न व्याधयो नापि यम: प्राप्तुं श्रेय: प्रतीक्षते । यावदेव भवेत्‌ कल्पस्तावच्छेय: समाचरेत्‌,रोग अथवा यमराज इस बातकी प्रतीक्षा नहीं करते कि इसने श्रेय प्राप्त कर लिया या नहीं। अतः जबतक अपनेमें सामर्थ्य हो, तभीतक अपने हितका साधन कर लेना चाहिये

Transliteration

na vyādhayo nāpi yamaḥ prāptuṃ śreyaḥ pratīkṣate | yāvad eva bhavet kalpas tāvac chreyaḥ samācaret |

Translation

ドゥルヨーダナは言った。「病も死神ヤマも、人が真の益を得たかどうかなど待ちはしない。ゆえに、力があり命の猶予があるうちに、自らの至善（śreyas）を求めて励むべきだ。」

Word by Word

नnot

व्याधयःdiseases

नnor

अपिalso/even

यमःYama (Death)

प्राप्तुम्to obtain

श्रेयःthe good, welfare, highest good

प्रतीक्षतेwaits for

यावत्as long as

एवindeed/just

भवेत्may be / should be

कल्पःability, fitness, capacity

तावत्so long / that long

श्रेयःthe good, welfare

समाचरेत्should practice/perform

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duryodhana

Yama

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Life is uncertain: illness and death do not wait for one to become ready or to complete one’s higher aims. Therefore one should pursue śreyas—true welfare and right conduct—without delay, while strength and opportunity remain.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sabha Parva context, Duryodhana speaks in a reflective, exhortative tone, emphasizing urgency: since death can arrive at any time, one should act promptly to secure one’s perceived good. The statement functions as a moral maxim within the unfolding political and ethical tensions of the assembly.