Shloka 36

द्रोणपर्व — अध्याय १६२: प्रातःसंध्यायां युद्धप्रवृत्तिः तथा रजोमेघे संमूढता

Devanagari script

इमां तु रजनी प्राप्तामप्रभातां सुदुर्मते । निहत्य पितरं तेडद्य ततस्त्वामपि संयुगे

Transliteration

imāṁ tu rajanīṁ prāptām aprabhātāṁ sudurmate | nihatya pitaraṁ te 'dya tatas tvām api saṁyuge ||

Translation

ಸಂಜಯನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಆದರೆ ಈಗ ಈ ರಾತ್ರಿ ಬಂದಿದೆ; ಪ್ರಭಾತಕ್ಕೂ ಮುನ್ನ, ಓ ದುರ್ಮತೇ! ಇಂದು ನಿನ್ನ ತಂದೆಯನ್ನು ಸಂಹರಿಸಿ, ನಂತರ ಯುದ್ಧದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿನ್ನನ್ನೂ ಹೊಡೆಯುವರು।

Word by Word

इमाम्this

तुbut/indeed

रजनीम्night

प्राप्ताम्having come/arrived (as: come upon)

अप्रभाताम्not yet dawned

सुदुर्मतेO very evil-minded one

निहत्यhaving slain

पितरम्father

तेyour

अद्यtoday/now

ततःthen/thereupon

त्वाम्you

अपिalso/even

संयुगेin battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

father (pitaram)

you (addressed person, unnamed in this verse)

battle (saṁyuga)

night (rajanī)

dawn (prabhāta)

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?

The verse underscores the moral gravity and karmic consequence of patricide: a grievous act invites swift retaliation and further violence, especially amid the chaos of war. It frames wrongdoing as self-destructive, drawing inevitable retribution.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a grim warning spoken in the war context: during the night before dawn, the addressed person is told that after killing his father that very day, the opposing side will next kill him in the ensuing battle.