Shloka 6

पाण्डवसेनानायकाभिषेकः तथा बलरामागमन-उपदेशः | Appointment of Pandava Commanders and Balarama’s Counsel

Devanagari script

सघण्टफलका: सर्वे सायोगुडजलोपला: । सशालभिन्दिपालाश्न समधूच्छिष्टमुद्गरा:

Transliteration

sa-ghaṇṭa-phalakāḥ sarve sāyoguḍa-jalopalāḥ | sa-śāla-bhindipālāś ca sa-madhūcchiṣṭa-mudgarāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Sie alle trugen schallende, mit Glöckchen besetzte Schilde, Steine und Erdklumpen zum Werfen sowie Schleudern mit Geschossen aus Salholz; dazu führten sie Streitkolben, mit Wachs und Honigrückständen bestrichen — ein ganzes Arsenal an Waffen und Geräten für den nahenden Kampf, das zeigte, wie gründlich sich die Krieger auf die harten Forderungen des Krieges gerüstet hatten.

Word by Word

• सघण्टफलका: having bell-plates (i.e., with ghantaphalakas)
• सघण्टफलका: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घण्टफलका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सायोगुडजलोपला: clods/stones with boiled jaggery-water (as binding/throwing material)
• सायोगुडजलोपला: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सशालभिन्दिपालाश्न: together with śāla-bhindipālas (slings/throwing-staves)
• सशालभिन्दिपालाश्न: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शालभिन्दिपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समधूच्छिष्टमुद्गरा: maces smeared with wax/honey-residue
• समधूच्छिष्टमुद्गरा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुद्गर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• bell-studded shields (ghaṇṭa-phalaka)
• iron balls/pellets (āyoguḍa)
• stones (upalāḥ)
• sal-wood pellets/clubs (śāla)
• bhindipāla (missile weapon)
• maces (mudgara)
• wax/honey-residue coating (madhūcchiṣṭa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the reality of kṣatriya life in the Udyoga Parva: when war becomes imminent, warriors prepare meticulously with protective gear and varied weapons. Ethically, it frames conflict as organized and deliberate, not accidental—highlighting responsibility for the consequences of choosing war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the combatants’ equipment: shields, missiles (stones/iron pellets), and heavy striking weapons like maces, indicating large-scale mobilization and readiness for battle as the Kurukṣetra conflict approaches.