Shloka 6

Devanagari script

ततो<5थ वचन स्मृत्वा भ्रातुर्ज्येष्लस्थ भारत । न हन्तव्या रणे तात क्षत्रिया विजिगीषव:

Transliteration

tato 'tha vacanaṃ smṛtvā bhrātur jyeṣṭhasya bhārata | na hantavyā raṇe tāta kṣatriyā vijigīṣavaḥ ||

Translation

Bấy giờ, hỡi Bhārata, nhớ lại lời người anh cả, Arjuna tự nhủ: “Này hiền huynh, trong chiến địa, những kṣatriya cầu thắng không nên bị giết.” Ghi lòng lời ấy, chàng cân nhắc cách giữ sự tiết chế theo dharma ngay giữa đòi hỏi khốc liệt của chiến tranh và chinh phục.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/from there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अथ: then/now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• वचनम्: speech/statement
• वचनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• स्मृत्वा: having remembered
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ
• Form: क्त्वा, Active, Absolutive (having remembered)

• भ्रातुः: of (his) brother
• भ्रातुः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• ज्येष्ठस्य: of the eldest
• ज्येष्ठस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• हन्तव्याः: should be killed
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: तव्यत्, Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Passive/Obligative, to be killed/should be killed

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तात: O dear/son
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• क्षत्रियाः: Kshatriyas/warriors
• क्षत्रियाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विजिगीषवः: desirous of victory
• विजिगीषवः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विजिगीषु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Bhārata (addressee, traditionally Janamejaya)
• Arjuna
• Yudhiṣṭhira (eldest brother, implied by jyeṣṭha-bhrātṛ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in warfare, dharma can require restraint: those kṣatriyas who are merely striving for victory are not to be slain, implying a preference for subduing or defeating without unnecessary killing, in obedience to righteous counsel.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that Arjuna, after addressing opponents and recalling his elder brother’s instruction, pauses to reflect on how to act in a way that secures victory while avoiding wrongful slaughter.