Mahabharata 7.191.283 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 191, Shloka 283

Devanagari script

क्व च युद्धमिदं भूय: “कालो हि दुरतिक्रम:” । दुर्योधन बोला--शिनिप्रवर! हमारा बचपनका वह खेल कहाँ चला गया और फिर यह युद्ध कहाँसे आ धमका? हाय! कालका उल्लंघन करना अत्यन्त ही कठिन है

Transliteration

kva ca yuddham idaṃ bhūyaḥ “kālo hi duratikramaḥ” |

Translation

దుర్యోధనుడు పలికెను—ఓ శినిప్రవరా! మన బాల్యపు ఆ ఆట ఎక్కడికి పోయింది? ఈ యుద్ధం మళ్లీ ఎక్కడి నుంచి వచ్చి పడింది? హాయ్! కాలాన్ని అతిక్రమించడం అత్యంత దుర్లభం.

Word by Word

• क्व: where?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• युद्धम्: battle, war
• युद्धम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• भूयः: again; moreover
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस्

• कालः: time; fate
• कालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed; for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• दुरतिक्रमः: hard to overstep
• दुरतिक्रमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरतिक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• kāla (Time/Fate)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the irresistible power of kāla (Time/fate) and the bitter realization that choices and consequences can carry one from innocent beginnings into catastrophic conflict; it invites reflection on responsibility, impermanence, and the moral cost of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Drona Parva’s intense battle context, Duryodhana laments how the situation has escalated from childhood familiarity among kinsmen to repeated, unavoidable warfare, attributing the grim turn of events to the overpowering force of Time.