Shloka 37

Devanagari script

ब्रवीतु वदतां श्रेष्ठो निशा समभिवर्तते । ततः सेनापतिं कृत्वा कृष्णस्य वशवर्तिन:,अतः वक्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ श्रीकृष्ण अपना विचार प्रकट करें। इस समय रात्रि है। हम अभी सेनापतिका निर्वाचन करके रात बीतनेपर अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंका अधिवासन (गन्ध आदि उपचारोंद्वारा पूजन), कौतुक (रक्षाबन्धन आदि) तथा मंगलकृत्य (स्वस्तिवाचन आदि) करनेके अनन्तर श्रीकृष्णके अधीन हो समरांगणकी यात्रा करेंगे

Transliteration

bravītu vadatāṁ śreṣṭho niśā samabhivartate | tataḥ senāpatiṁ kṛtvā kṛṣṇasya vaśavartinaḥ ||

Translation

Es spreche der Beste unter den Rednern, denn die Nacht rückt heran. Dann werden wir, nachdem wir einen Heerführer bestimmt haben, unter Kṛṣṇas Leitung handeln: Wenn die Nacht vorüber ist, vollziehen wir die rituelle Weihe der Waffen, die Schutzriten und die glückverheißenden Zeremonien; danach ziehen wir in geordneter Disziplin und nach rechtem Rat zum Schlachtfeld, nicht aus Hast.

Word by Word

ब्रवीतुlet (him) speak

वदताम्of those who speak

श्रेष्ठःthe best

निशाnight

समभिवर्ततेapproaches/comes on

ततःthen/thereafter

सेनापतिम्commander of the army

कृत्वाhaving made/after appointing

कृष्णस्यof Krishna

वशवर्तिनःbeing under (his) control/obedient to (him)

Speaker

युधिषछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Kṛṣṇa

senāpati (commander-in-chief)

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?

Even on the brink of war, action should be guided by orderly procedure, auspicious preparation, and submission to wise counsel—here, placing the campaign under Kṛṣṇa’s direction rather than acting impulsively.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira urges Kṛṣṇa, regarded as the foremost counselor, to state his view because night is falling; he then outlines the plan to appoint a commander and, after completing customary rites and preparations, proceed to the battlefield under Kṛṣṇa’s guidance.