Shloka 53

Adhyāya 16: Saṃśaptaka-vrata and the Diversion of Arjuna (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय १६)

Devanagari script

पृष्ठत: सर्वसैन्यानां मुदितो वै सकेशव:,इस प्रकार शत्रुओंको जीतकर सब सेनाओंके पीछे श्रीकृष्णसहित अर्जुन बड़ी प्रसन्नताके साथ अपने शिविरको गये

Transliteration

pṛṣṭhataḥ sarvasainyānāṃ mudito vai sa keśavaḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Keśava (Śrī Kṛṣṇa), hinter allen Heeren positioniert, war wahrlich voller Freude. So kehrte Arjuna—von Kṛṣṇa begleitet—nach dem Sieg über die Feinde mit großer Genugtuung in sein Lager zurück.

Word by Word

पृष्ठतःfrom behind / at the rear

सर्वसैन्यानाम्of all the armies

मुदितःgladdened, joyful

वैindeed

सकेशवःtogether with Keśava (Krishna)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Keśava (Śrī Kṛṣṇa)

Arjuna

armies (sainyāni)

camp (śibira)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined fulfillment of duty in battle and the role of wise guidance (Kṛṣṇa with Arjuna): after achieving the objective, one returns to order and responsibility rather than being carried away by pride.

What is happening in the narrative?

After defeating enemies, Arjuna—together with Kṛṣṇa—withdraws from the battlefield and goes back to the camp; Kṛṣṇa (Keśava) is described as pleased, situated behind the armies.