Shloka 66

Devanagari script

क्षत्रधर्मे स्थिता: पार्था नापराध्यन्ति पुत्रका: । एतदार्येण कर्तव्यं कृच्छास्वापत्सु संजय

Transliteration

kṣatradharme sthitāḥ pārthā nāparādhyanti putrakāḥ | etad āryeṇa kartavyaṃ kṛcchrāsv āpatsu saṃjaya ||

Translation

Дхритараштра сказал: «Сыны Панду, твёрдо стоящие в дхарме кшатрия, не виновны, сын мой. В такие суровые времена бедствий и напастей, Санджая, именно так и должен поступать благородный человек».

Word by Word

क्षत्रधर्मेin the kshatriya-duty

स्थिताःstanding/abiding

पार्थाःthe sons of Pritha (Pandavas)

नnot

अपराध्यन्तिcommit an offense / do wrong

पुत्रकाःsons (dear boys)

एतत्this

आर्येणby a noble (person) / nobly

कर्तव्यम्should be done / is to be done

कृच्छासुin hardships

आपत्सुin calamities/dangers

संजयO Sanjaya

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Sañjaya

Pārthas (Pāṇḍavas)

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?

When one is firmly established in one’s rightful duty (here, kṣatriya-dharma), action taken under that duty—especially amid calamity—need not be treated as moral fault; nobility is shown by doing what duty requires even in hardship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra speaks to Sañjaya, reflecting on the Pāṇḍavas’ stance in the conflict: he acknowledges that, as warriors adhering to their dharma, they are not blameworthy, and he frames their course as the proper conduct of the noble in a time of crisis.