Shloka 273

Devanagari script

“माननीय नरेश! मैं तो आपके ही भरोसे युद्धमें मारे गये अपने वीर भाइयों तथा समस्त राजाओंके (ऋणसे मुक्त होनेके लिये उन्हींके) पथपर चलनेकी इच्छा करता हूँ”

Transliteration

mānanīya nareśa! ahaṃ tu tavaiva bharose yuddhe māritān svān vīra-bhrātṝn tathā samastān rājñāṃ (ṛṇāt mukta-bhavituṃ teṣām eva) patham anugantum icchāmi.

Translation

Санджая сказал: «О почтенный царь, полагаясь лишь на тебя, я тоже желаю идти тем самым путем, которым пошли мои доблестные братья и все те цари, что пали в битве, — дабы, освободившись от бремени долга и обязательств, отправиться туда, куда ушли они.»

Word by Word

माननीयvenerable, worthy of honor

नरेशO king (lord of men)

अहम्I

तुbut/indeed

भवतःof you/your

एवonly/indeed

भरोसेin reliance (on)

युद्धेin battle

मृतान्dead/slain

स्वान्one's own

वीरान्heroes/valiant ones

भ्रातॄन्brothers

तथाand also

समस्तान्all/entire

राज्ञःkings

ऋणात्from debt/obligation

मुक्तान्freed/released

कर्तुम्to do/make

तेषाम्of them

एवindeed/only

पथम्path/way

अनुसर्तुम्to follow

इच्छामिI desire/wish

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address 'nareśa')

fallen brothers (unspecified)

kings (collective)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames death in battle as a morally charged ‘path’ associated with kṣatriya duty and the settling of obligations (ṛṇa). It also highlights dependence on rightful authority and the desire to be released from burdens through fulfilling one’s perceived duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya addresses the king (Dhṛtarāṣṭra), expressing that, trusting in him, he wishes to follow the course taken by his slain heroic brothers and the many kings killed in the war—implying a readiness to embrace the same fate and to be freed from the weight of obligation.