Shloka 573

Devanagari script

सुचिरेणार्जिताल्लोकान्‌ सद्यो युद्धात्‌ समश्षुते । “कौरवो! युद्धधर्मसे बढ़कर दूसरा कोई स्वर्गका श्रेष्ठ मार्ग नहीं है। दीर्घकालतक पुण्यकर्म करनेसे प्राप्त होनेवाले पुण्यलोकोंको वीर क्षत्रिय युद्धसे तत्काल प्राप्त कर लेता है!

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | sucireṇārjitāllokān sadyo yuddhāt samaśnute |

Translation

サञ्जयは言った。「長きにわたり善業を積み重ねてようやく得られる功徳の世界を、武人は戦いによってただちに得る。クシャトリヤにとって、正しき戦における戦闘のダルマ以上に高い天への道はない。」

Word by Word

• सुचिरेण: by a long time (i.e., after long duration)
• सुचिरेण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुचिर
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अर्जितान्: earned, obtained
• अर्जितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्जित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• लोकान्: worlds (heavenly realms)
• लोकान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः

• युद्धात्: from/through battle
• युद्धात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• समश्नुते: attains, obtains
• समश्नुते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + अश्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• svarga (heaven)
• puṇya-loka (merit-worlds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts a Kṣatriya-centered ethic: when war is undertaken as yuddha-dharma, heroic combat is presented as a swift means to attain the merit-realms that otherwise require long-term accumulation of puṇya through righteous deeds.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, narrating events and their moral framing, emphasizes the traditional valuation of battlefield duty: he describes how a warrior can immediately gain the heavenly merit-worlds that are normally achieved only after prolonged virtuous practice.