Shloka 31

पाण्डवसेनानायकाभिषेकः तथा बलरामागमन-उपदेशः | Appointment of Pandava Commanders and Balarama’s Counsel

Devanagari script

पृथगक्षौहिणीनां च हा १० [ नरसत्तमान्‌ | विधिवत पूर्वमानीय भ्यषेचयत्‌

Transliteration

pṛthag akṣauhiṇīnāṃ ca ha narasattamān | vidhivat pūrvam ānīya abhyasecayat ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Having first brought the foremost of men forward, he duly performed their consecration, and also arranged the armies separately by akṣauhiṇīs.

Word by Word

• पृथक्: separately
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक्
• Form: Avyaya (indeclinable adverb)

• अक्षौहिणीनाम्: of the armies (akṣauhiṇīs)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षौहिणी
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Avyaya (indeclinable conjunction)

• नरसत्तमान्: the best of men
• नरसत्तमान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरसत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• विधिवत्: according to rule/ritually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत्
• Form: Avyaya (indeclinable adverb)

• पूर्वम्: first/beforehand
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व
• Form: Avyaya (temporal adverb)

• आनीय: having brought
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-नी
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), from √नी with prefix आ-

• अभ्यषेचयत्: anointed (performed consecration)
• अभ्यषेचयत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-षिच्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• akṣauhiṇī (army division)
• narasattamāḥ (foremost men/warriors)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in a war-bound context, authority and leadership are framed through dharmic procedure—proper rites (abhiṣeka) and orderly organization (separate akṣauhiṇīs) emphasize legitimacy, restraint, and disciplined governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator reports that the leading men were first brought forward and duly consecrated/installed, while the forces were arranged separately as distinct akṣauhiṇī divisions—signaling formal preparation and structured mobilization.