Shloka 266

शल्यस्य सेनापत्याभ्युपगमः | Śalya’s Acceptance of Command

Devanagari script

नायं क्लीबयितुं काल: संयोद्धु काल एव नः । 'शत्रुओंको तपानेवाले वीर! अब मैं अच्छी तरह युद्ध करनेमें ही उत्तम नीतिका पालन समझ रहा हूँ। हमारा यह समय कायरता दिखानेका नहीं, उत्साहपूर्वक युद्ध करनेका ही है

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | nāyaṁ klībayituṁ kālaḥ saṁyoddhuṁ kāla eva naḥ |

Translation

Санджая сказал: «Это не время для малодушия; это, поистине, наше время сражаться. В такой миг высшая мудрость — вступить в бой с твёрдой решимостью, а не колебаться перед врагом».

Word by Word

nanot

ayamthis

klībayitumto act like a coward / to become impotent (figuratively: to be cowardly)

kālaḥtime; occasion

saṃyoddhumto fight; to engage in battle

kālaḥtime; occasion

evaindeed; only; just

naḥof us; our

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sanjaya

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?

The verse asserts that in a decisive crisis, especially for warriors bound by duty, the ethical course is steadfast courage and action—not surrender to fear or hesitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sanjaya, narrating events to Dhritarashtra, frames the moment as one where the combatants must not lapse into timidity; the situation demands committed engagement in battle.