Shloka 9

Devanagari script

केकया भ्रातर: पज्च धृष्टकेतुश्न वीर्यवान्‌ | जघनं पालयामासु: पाण्डुसैन्यस्थ भारत,भारत! इसके बाद पाँचों भाई केकय तथा पराक्रमी धृष्टकेतु--ये पाण्डवसेनाके जघनभागकी रक्षा करने लगे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | kekayā bhrātaraḥ pañca dhṛṣṭaketuś ca vīryavān | jaghanaṁ pālayāmāsuḥ pāṇḍusainyastha bhārata ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: The five Kekaya brothers, along with the valiant Dhṛṣṭaketu, took up the duty of guarding the rear of the Pāṇḍava army, O Bhārata.

Word by Word

केकयाःthe Kekayas

भ्रातरःbrothers

पञ्चfive

धृष्टकेतुःDhrishtaketu

चand

वीर्यवान्valiant, powerful

जघनम्the rear (hind part)

पालयामासुःthey protected/guarded

पाण्डु-सैन्य-स्थO (you) who are in/with the Pandu-army

भारतO Bharata

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address 'Bhārata')

Kekaya brothers

Dhṛṣṭaketu

Pāṇḍava army

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid war, dharma expresses itself as disciplined responsibility: guarding the rear prevents disorder and protects comrades, showing that courage includes vigilance and protective duty, not only attack.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the five Kekaya brothers and the warrior Dhṛṣṭaketu are assigned to protect the rear section of the Pāṇḍava forces, securing the army’s formation during the battle.