Shloka 9
प्रयातु नो भवानग्रे देवानामिव पावकि: । अनुयास्यामहे त्वाजी सौरभेया इवर्षभम्,जैसे कार्तिकेय देवताओंके आगे चलते हैं, उसी प्रकार आप हमलोगोंके आगे चलिये। जैसे बछड़े साँड़के पीछे चलते हैं, उसी प्रकार युद्धमें हम सब लोग आपके पीछे चलेंगे
prayātu no bhavān agre devānām iva pāvakiḥ | anuyāsyāmahe tv ājau saurabheyā ivarṣabham ||
Duryodhana said: “May you go in front of us—like Pāvaki (Kārttikeya) leading the gods. We shall follow you in this battle, as the calves of Surabhi follow the bull.” In ethical and narrative terms, he frames obedience to the commander as the army’s duty, using sacred and pastoral similes to intensify loyalty and to legitimize aggressive resolve through the language of reverence.
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the battlefield ideal of disciplined followership: the army’s duty is to let the chosen leader go first and to move in coordinated support. Duryodhana uses revered imagery (Kārttikeya leading the gods) to cast military obedience as a quasi-sacred obligation.
Duryodhana urges his commander to advance at the head of the Kaurava forces and promises that all will follow him into combat. The similes—gods following Kārttikeya and calves following a bull—underscore unity, dependence on leadership, and readiness for war.