Shloka 30

Chapter 19: Prativyūha of the Pāṇḍavas — Vajra (Acala) Formation and Dawn Omens

Devanagari script

पादातास्त्वग्रतो5गच्छन्नसिशक्त्यूष्टिपाणय: । अनेकशतसाहस््रा भीमसेनस्य रक्षिण:,भीमसेनकी रक्षाके लिये उनके आगे-आगे हाथोंमें खड़ग, शक्ति तथा ऋष्टि लिये कई लाख पैदल सैनिक चल रहे थे

Transliteration

pādātās tv agrato ’gacchann asi-śakty-ṛṣṭi-pāṇayaḥ | aneka-śata-sahasrā bhīmasenasya rakṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: In front of Bhīmasena marched foot-soldiers in vast numbers—many hundreds of thousands—bearing swords, spears, and lances in their hands, assigned to guard him (rakṣā) as he advanced into battle. The scene underscores the extraordinary martial importance attributed to Bhīma and the protective duty undertaken by his men amid the peril of war.

Word by Word

• पादाताः: foot-soldiers
• पादाताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• अग्रतः: in front/ahead
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतस्

• अगच्छन्: went/were going
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• असि: sword
• असि: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (in compound sense), Singular

• शक्ति: spear/javelin
• शक्ति: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (in compound sense), Singular

• ऋष्टि: lance/pike
• ऋष्टि: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (in compound sense), Singular

• पाणयः: hands (i.e., men with hands holding weapons)
• पाणयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अनेक: many
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शत: hundred
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Stem member (in compound), Singular

• सहस्राः: thousands (i.e., many hundreds of thousands)
• सहस्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भीमसेनस्य: of Bhimasena
• भीमसेनस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• रक्षिणः: guards/protectors
• रक्षिणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• pādātāḥ (infantry)
• asi (sword)
• śakti (spear/javelin)
• ṛṣṭi (lance/pike)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights rakṣā (protective duty) as a concrete expression of dharma in wartime: those assigned to guard a key warrior must act with vigilance and readiness, placing collective responsibility above individual display.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield movement: a large contingent of infantry, armed with swords, spears, and lances, marches ahead of Bhīmasena as his protective screen, indicating Bhīma’s strategic importance and the intensity of the coming clash.