Shloka 53

Devanagari script

गतानां यत्र वै मोक्ष: पाण्डवात्‌ कि गतेन व: । अल्पं च बलमेतेषां कृष्णौ च भृशविक्षतौ

Transliteration

gatānāṁ yatra vai mokṣaḥ pāṇḍavāt ki gatena vaḥ | alpaṁ ca balam eteṣāṁ kṛṣṇau ca bhṛśa-vikṣatau ||

Translation

جہاں گرے ہوئے لوگوں کو نجات ملتی ہے، وہاں پاندوؤں کے مقابل جانے سے تمہیں کیا حاصل ہوگا؟ ان کی قوت تھوڑی ہے، اور دونوں کرشن (کرشن اور ارجن) سخت زخمی ہیں۔

Word by Word

गतानाम्of those who have gone (departed)

यत्रwhere

वैindeed

मोक्षःrelease, liberation

पाण्डवात्from the Pandava

किम्what?

गतेनby (his) going / with (his) departure

वःto you / of you

अल्पम्small, little

चand

बलम्strength, force

एतेषाम्of these (men)

कृष्णौthe two Krishnas (Krishna and Arjuna)

चand

भृश-विक्षतौseverely wounded

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pāṇḍavas

kṛṣṇau (the two Kṛṣṇas)

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 frames battlefield decision-making within an ethical horizon: death is not merely loss but can be linked with mokṣa, and therefore reckless aggression against the righteous (the Pāṇḍavas) is questioned. It also highlights the moral and strategic folly of pressing on when one’s side is weakened and key figures are badly wounded.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports a moment of assessment and discouragement: he points out that the opposing side’s strength is limited and that “the two Kṛṣṇas” are severely injured, while also questioning what benefit there is in continuing to go against the Pāṇḍavas—implying a grim recognition of the war’s cost and the spiritual stakes of those who fall.