Shloka 14

Devanagari script

एवमुक्त: प्रत्युवाच धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिर: । सात्यकिके इस प्रकार कहनेपर धर्मपुत्र युधिष्ठिरने अर्जुनको यह आदेश दिया ।। १३ ३ || युधिछिर उवाच युज्यतां मे रथवर: फाल्गुनाप्रतिमदझ्ुते,अतः पुरःसराश्षापि निवर्तन्तु धनंजय । युधिष्ठिर बोले--अनुपम तेजस्वी अर्जुन! मेरा श्रेष्ठ रथ जोतकर तैयार कराओ। आज सैनिकोंको हमारे साथ नहीं जाना चाहिये। केवल हमलोगोंको ही चलना है। धनंजय! धर्मात्माओंमें श्रेष्ठ भीष्मजीको अधिक भीड़ बढ़ाकर कष्ट देना उचित नहीं है। अतः आगे चलनेवाले सैनिकोंको भी जानेके लिये मना कर देना चाहिये

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | yujyatāṁ me rathavaraḥ phālgunāpratima-dyute | ataḥ puraḥsarāś cāpi nivartantu dhanañjaya ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira, the son of Dharma, replied: “Have my excellent chariot yoked and made ready, O Arjuna of incomparable splendor. And let those who go in front also turn back, O Dhanañjaya. Today the army should not accompany us; only we should go. It is not right to trouble the righteous Bhīṣma by increasing the crowd around him.”

Word by Word

एवम्thus

उक्तःhaving been spoken to / addressed

प्रत्युवाचreplied

धर्मपुत्रःDharma’s son (Yudhiṣṭhira)

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

युज्यताम्let (it) be yoked / harnessed

मेmy

रथवरःthe excellent chariot

फाल्गुनO Phālguna (Arjuna)

अप्रतिमO incomparable one

द्युतिःsplendour, radiance

अतःtherefore / hence

पुरःसराःthose going in front, the vanguard

अपिalso, even

निवर्तन्तुlet them turn back / return

धनंजयO Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Arjuna (Phālguna, Dhanañjaya)

chariot (ratha)

vanguard/forerunners (puraḥsarāḥ)

Bhīṣma (implied by context of not troubling him)

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 in a time shaped by war, dharma expresses itself as restraint and compassion: Yudhiṣṭhira avoids needless display and crowding, showing respect for a suffering elder (Bhīṣma) and choosing a quieter, more considerate approach.

What is happening in the narrative?

After hearing prior counsel, Yudhiṣṭhira instructs Arjuna to have his chariot prepared and to send back the vanguard/attendants so that only a small party proceeds—so as not to inconvenience Bhīṣma and to approach him with due decorum.