Shloka 23

Adhyāya 195 — Arjuna’s Capability and Restraint Regarding Divyāstras

Udyoga Parva

Devanagari script

भारत! उसमें एक हजार हाथीसवार, दस हजार घुड़सवार, एक हजार रथी और कई सहस्र पैदल सैनिक थे ।।

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | bharata! tatra gajasāhasram, aśvasāhasra-daśakam, rathisāhasram, padātīnāṁ ca bahu-sahasram āsīt | cekitānaḥ sva-sainyena mahatā pārthivarṣabha | dhṛṣṭaketuś ca cedīnāṁ praṇetā pārthivo yayau nṛpaśreṣṭha ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: O Bhārata, in jener Streitmacht waren tausend Elefantenreiter, zehntausend Reiter, tausend Wagenkämpfer und viele Tausende Fußsoldaten. Cekitāna zog mit seinem großen Heer aus; und Dhṛṣṭaketu, der königliche Anführer der Cedis, schritt ebenfalls mit ihnen voran—ein Bericht, der die geordnete Sammlung von Verbündeten für einen Krieg unterstreicht, der mit schwerer Verantwortung und weitreichenden moralischen Folgen geführt wurde.

Word by Word

• चेकितानः: Cekitāna (a warrior/king)
• चेकितानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेकितान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वसैन्येन: with his own army
• स्वसैन्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वसैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• महता: great, large
• महता: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पार्थिवर्षभ: O bull among kings
• पार्थिवर्षभ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव + ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• धृष्टकेतुः: Dhṛṣṭaketu
• धृष्टकेतुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टकेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• चेदीनाम्: of the Cedis
• चेदीनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• प्रणेता: leader, commander
• प्रणेता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणेता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पार्थिवः: the king
• पार्थिवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ययौ: went, proceeded
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bharata
• Cekitāna
• Dhṛṣṭaketu
• Cedi (Cedis)
• elephant corps
• cavalry
• chariot-warriors
• infantry

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined preparation and the gathering of allies under recognized leaders, implying that when rulers move toward conflict, they bear heightened responsibility to act with restraint, clarity of purpose, and adherence to dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana enumerates the troop composition and notes that Cekitāna, along with Dhṛṣṭaketu—the leader of the Cedis—marches with a large force, indicating allied kings joining together as the great war approaches.