Shloka 19

Adhyāya 78 — Bhīṣma’s Advance, Duryodhana’s Rally, and Concurrent Duels (भीष्मस्याभ्युद्यमः, दुर्योधनस्योत्साहवचनम्, विविधयुद्धवर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

प्राग्ज्योतिषस्तु सहितो मद्रसौवीरकेकयै: । उरस्यभून्नरश्रेष्ठ महत्या सेनयावृत:,नरश्रेष्ठ! मद्र, सौवीर और केकय योद्धाओंके साथ विशाल सेनासे घिरे हुए प्राग्ज्योतिषपुरके राजा भगदत्त उस व्यूहके वक्ष:स्थलमें स्थित हुए

Transliteration

prāgjyotiṣas tu sahito madra-sauvīra-kekayaiḥ | urasy abhūn naraśreṣṭha mahatyā senayāvṛtaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: O Bester der Menschen, Bhagadatta, der König von Prāgjyotiṣa, begleitet von den Kriegern aus Madra, Sauvīra und Kekaya und von einem gewaltigen Heer umringt, nahm seinen Platz in der „Brust“ jener Schlachtordnung ein—dort an der Front, wo der Zusammenstoß am heftigsten sein würde—und verkörperte den düsteren Entschluss und die gemeinsame Pflicht seiner Seite im Krieg.

Word by Word

• {'prāgjyotiṣaḥ': 'the king of Prāgjyotiṣa (Bhagadatta)

• also ‘of Prāgjyotiṣa’', 'tu': 'but

• and (emphatic connective)', 'sahitaḥ': 'accompanied

• joined together with', 'madra': 'the Madra people/warriors (region/kingdom)', 'sauvīra': 'the Sauvīra people/warriors (region/kingdom)', 'kekaya': 'the Kekaya people/warriors (region/kingdom)', 'madra-sauvīra-kekayaiḥ': 'with the Madras, Sauvīras, and Kekayas (instrumental plural)', 'urasi': 'on the chest

• at the breast/front (of the formation)', 'abhūt': 'became

• took position', 'naraśreṣṭha': 'O best of men (address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)', 'mahatyā': 'by/with a great, vast (instrumental singular)', 'senayā': 'army

• host (instrumental singular)', 'āvṛtaḥ': 'surrounded

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhagadatta
• Prāgjyotiṣa
• Madra
• Sauvīra
• Kekaya
• vyūha (battle-formation)
• senā (army)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of taking responsibility at the most dangerous point of battle: leaders and allied forces stand together in the front line, showing resolve, solidarity, and acceptance of duty amid the moral gravity of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the placement of Bhagadatta, king of Prāgjyotiṣa, within the battle-array: with Madra, Sauvīra, and Kekaya troops and a large army around him, he occupies the ‘breast’ (front/central striking zone) of the formation.