Shloka 18

उद्योगपर्व — अध्याय १५१: कृष्णस्य कौरव-अवज्ञा-निर्णयः तथा पाण्डव-योगाज्ञा

Krishna on the Kauravas’ Rejection of Counsel; Pandava Readiness Ordered

Devanagari script

चरितन्रह्मचर्यास्ते सोमपा भूरिदक्षिणा: । जयाय पाण्दुपुत्राणां समाजम्मुर्महीक्षित:

Transliteration

carita-brahmacaryās te somapā bhūri-dakṣiṇāḥ | jayāya pāṇḍu-putrāṇāṁ samājam ūrm-mahīkṣitaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Jene Könige — die zur rechten Zeit das Gelübde des brahmacarya gehalten, bei Opfern Soma getrunken und reichliche dakṣiṇā an die Priester gespendet hatten — versammelten sich auf dem Feld von Kurukṣetra, um gemeinsam den Sieg der Söhne Pāṇḍus zu fördern.

Word by Word

• चरितब्रह्मचर्याः: those who have observed brahmacarya
• चरितब्रह्मचर्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चरितब्रह्मचर्य (चरित + ब्रह्मचर्य)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ते: those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सोमपाः: Soma-drinkers (performers of Soma-sacrifices)
• सोमपाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सोमप (सोम + पा)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भूरिदक्षिणाः: having abundant sacrificial gifts (fees)
• भूरिदक्षिणाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूरिदक्षिण (भूरि + दक्षिणा)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जयाय: for victory
• जयाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जय
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• पाण्डुपुत्राणाम्: of the sons of Pāṇḍu (the Pāṇḍavas)
• पाण्डुपुत्राणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डुपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• समाजम्: assembly; gathering
• समाजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: समाज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ऊर्महीक्षितः: great kings (earth-rulers)
• ऊर्महीक्षितः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीक्षित् (उरु/ऊरु + महीक्षित्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇḍuputrāḥ (Pāṇḍavas)
• Kurukṣetra
• Soma
• dakṣiṇā (sacrificial gifts)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links political and military support to dharmic credentials: rulers who practiced self-restraint (brahmacarya) and upheld sacrificial generosity (Soma rites with abundant dakṣiṇā) align themselves with the righteous cause, suggesting that legitimate power is strengthened by discipline and giving.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the war approaches, many kings renowned for vows, sacrificial participation, and generosity gather at Kurukṣetra, forming an assembly with the expressed aim of securing victory for the Pāṇḍavas.