Mahabharata 6.26.37 — Bhishma Parva, Adhyaya 26, Shloka 37

कर्मयोग–ज्ञानयज्ञ–अवतारोपदेश

Karma-Yoga, Jñāna-Yajña, and Avatāra Instruction

Devanagari script

हतो वा प्राप्स्यसि स्वर्ग जित्वा वा भोक्ष्यसे महीम्‌ । तस्मादुत्तिष्ठ कौन्तेय युद्धाय कृतनिश्चय:

Transliteration

hato vā prāpsyasi svargaṁ jitvā vā bhokṣyase mahīm | tasmād uttiṣṭha kaunteya yuddhāya kṛta-niścayaḥ ||

Translation

యుద్ధంలో హతుడైతే స్వర్గాన్ని పొందుతావు; గెలిచితే భూమి రాజ్యాన్ని అనుభవిస్తావు. కాబట్టి, ఓ కౌంతేయా, యుద్ధానికి దృఢనిశ్చయంతో లేచి నిలువు.

Word by Word

• हतः: slain
• हतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हन् (धातु) → हत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• प्राप्स्यसि: you will attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• स्वर्गम्: heaven
• स्वर्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जित्वा: having conquered
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• भोक्ष्यसे: you will enjoy
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), Second, Singular, Ātmanepada

• महीम्: the earth (kingdom)
• महीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• तस्मात्: therefore
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम) → तस्मात्

• उत्तिष्ठ: stand up
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-स्था (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कौन्तेय: O son of Kuntī
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौन्तेय
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• युद्धाय: for battle
• युद्धाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

• कृतनिश्चयः: having made a firm resolve
• कृतनिश्चयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-निश्चय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna (Kaunteya)
• Svarga (heaven)
• Mahī (the earth/kingdom)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A kṣatriya should act according to dharma without being paralyzed by fear of loss: death in righteous battle leads to svarga, and victory leads to rightful rule—so one should rise with steady resolve.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the battlefield exhortation to Arjuna, the speaker urges him to stand up and fight, presenting the two possible outcomes—death or victory—as both leading to a worthy result when the battle is undertaken as duty.