Shloka 16

मārkaṇḍeya-ukta yuddha-vyūha-pratyavyūhaḥ

Battle Formations and Countermeasures in the Rāmopākhyāna

Devanagari script

जनार्दन: सान्धकवृष्णिवीरो महेष्वासा: केकयाश्नापि सर्वे | एते हि सर्वे मम राजपुत्रा: प्रह्ृष्टरूपा: पदवीं चरेयु:,अन्धक और वृष्णिवंशी वीरोंके साथ भगवान्‌ श्रीकृष्ण तथा महान्‌ धनुर्धर समस्त केकयराजकुमार मेरे रक्षक हैं। ये सभी राजपुत्र हर्ष और उत्साहमें भरकर मेरा पता लगानेके लिये निकल पड़ेंगे

Transliteration

janārdanaḥ sāndhakavṛṣṇivīro maheṣvāsāḥ kekayāś cāpi sarve | ete hi sarve mama rājaputrāḥ prahṛṣṭarūpāḥ padavīṁ careyuḥ ||

Translation

Jayadratha sprach: „Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa), zusammen mit den heldenhaften Andhakas und Vṛṣṇis, und alle Kekaya-Prinzen—jeder ein gewaltiger Bogenschütze—sind meine Beschützer. All diese Königssöhne werden, von Freude und Eifer erfüllt, aufbrechen, um meiner Spur zu folgen und mich zu finden.“

Word by Word

• {'janārdanaḥ': 'Janārdana

• an epithet of Kṛṣṇa, ‘he who stirs/overcomes men’', 'sāndhaka-vṛṣṇi-vīraḥ': 'the hero(es) among the Andhakas and Vṛṣṇis (Yādava clans allied with Kṛṣṇa)', 'maheṣvāsāḥ': 'great bowmen

• mighty archers', 'kekayāḥ': 'the Kekayas

• a people/royal house of the northwest', 'sarve': 'all', 'ete': 'these', 'hi': 'indeed, surely', 'mama': 'my', 'rājaputrāḥ': 'princes

• sons of kings', 'prahṛṣṭa-rūpāḥ': 'with delighted/animated demeanor

• exultant', 'padavīm': 'path, track, route

• also ‘footprint/trace’ in context of pursuit', 'careyuḥ': 'would move about, would go forth, would patrol/search (optative sense: ‘will/should go’)'}

Speaker

जयद्रथ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Jayadratha
• Janārdana (Kṛṣṇa)
• Andhakas
• Vṛṣṇis
• Kekaya princes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how reliance on powerful allies can breed overconfidence. Ethically, it hints at the Mahābhārata’s recurring warning: strength and networks do not guarantee righteousness or safety when one’s actions are driven by adharma; true security is aligned with dharma rather than mere force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Jayadratha asserts that Kṛṣṇa along with the Andhaka–Vṛṣṇi heroes and the Kekaya princes stand as his protectors, and he claims these princes will enthusiastically set out to trace his route and find him—portraying his confidence in being defended and sought out by formidable supporters.