Shloka 29

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 2: Karṇa’s lament, vow, and battle preparation after Bhīṣma’s fall

Devanagari script

प्रायात्रिकं चानयताशु सर्व दध्ना पूर्ण वीर कांस्यं च हैमम्‌ आनीय मालामवबध्य चाडज़े प्रवादयन्त्वाशु जयाय भेरी:,“वीर! रणयात्राकी सारी आवश्यक सामग्री, दहीसे भरे हुए कांस्य और सुवर्णके पात्र आदि सब कुछ शीघ्र ले आओ। यह सब लानेके पश्चात्‌ मेरे गलेमें माला पहनाकर विजय- यात्राके लिये तुमलोग तुरंत नगाड़े बजवा दो

Transliteration

prāyātrikaṃ cānayatāśu sarvaṃ dadhnā pūrṇaṃ vīra kāṃsyaṃ ca haimam ānīya mālām avabadhya ca aṅge pravādayantv āśu jayāya bherīḥ |

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Bring quickly all the requisites for departure. Fetch at once the bronze and golden vessels filled with curd. After bringing them, place a garland upon my person, and immediately have the war-drums sounded for victory.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'prāyātrikam', 'definition': 'provisions/requisites for setting out

• equipment for departure'}, {'term': 'ānayata', 'definition': 'bring (imperative plural)'}, {'term': 'āśu', 'definition': 'quickly, at once'}, {'term': 'sarvam', 'definition': 'all, everything'}, {'term': 'dadhnā pūrṇam', 'definition': 'filled with curd (a customary auspicious substance)'}, {'term': 'vīra', 'definition': 'hero

• brave one (vocative address)'}, {'term': 'kāṃsyam', 'definition': 'bronze vessel/utensil'}, {'term': 'haimam', 'definition': 'golden

• made of gold'}, {'term': 'mālām', 'definition': 'garland'}, {'term': 'avabadhya', 'definition': 'having fastened/placed (upon the body/neck)'}, {'term': 'aṅge', 'definition': 'on the body

• upon the person'}, {'term': 'pravādayantu', 'definition': 'let them cause to be sounded

• have (instruments) played'}, {'term': 'jayāya', 'definition': 'for victory'}, {'term': 'bherīḥ', 'definition': 'kettledrums/war-drums'}]

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• prāyātrika (departure requisites)
• dadhi (curd)
• kāṃsya-pātra (bronze vessel)
• haima-pātra (golden vessel)
• mālā (garland)
• bherī (war-drum)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how warfare in the Mahābhārata is framed not only as combat but as a socially and ritually ordered undertaking: auspicious substances (curd), ceremonial garlanding, and the sounding of drums express confidence, morale, and the kingly duty to proceed with resolve toward the chosen aim—here, victory.

What is happening in the narrative?

A commander/leader issues urgent instructions to attendants: gather the departure supplies, bring bronze and gold vessels filled with curd, garland him, and then sound the war-drums to commence the victory-march toward battle.