Shloka 20

ध्वजवर्णनम् | Dhvaja-varṇanam

Description of War Standards

Devanagari script

तस्यां रजन्यां मध्ये तु प्रतिबुद्धो जनार्दन:

Transliteration

tasyāṁ rajanyāṁ madhye tu pratibuddho janārdanaḥ

Translation

قال سانجيا: «وفي وسط تلك الليلة استيقظ جناردانا (كريشنا) — يقظةٌ تدلّ على التنبّه وحسن المبادرة في أوانها وسط ظلمة الحرب الأخلاقية، حيث يغدو السهرُ والقولُ السديدُ ضرورةً لصون الدارما.»

Word by Word

• तस्याम्: in that
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• रजन्याम्: night
• रजन्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रजनी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• प्रतिबुद्धः: awakened
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रतिबुध्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• जनार्दनः: Janardana (Krishna)
• जनार्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनार्दन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical necessity of wakeful awareness in times of conflict: when circumstances are dark and uncertain, a righteous leader must be alert, ready to guide action with discernment rather than impulse.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that in the middle of the night Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa) awoke, marking a transition to imminent counsel or action within the unfolding events of the war narrative.