Shloka 4

Bhīmasena–Drauṇi Mahāyuddha

Chariot Duel and Astra-Exchange

Devanagari script

महत्यपररात्रे च तव सैन्यस्य मारिष । योगो योगेति सहसा प्रादुरासीन्महास्वन:,माननीय नरेश! अत्यन्त प्रात:कालसे ही आपकी सेनामें सहसा “तैयार हो जाओ, तैयार हो जाओ' का शब्द गूँज उठा

Transliteration

mahatiy apararātre ca tava sainyasya māriṣa | yogo yogeti sahasā prādurāsīn mahāsvanaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya dijo: «Oh rey venerable, en las hondas horas antes del alba, dentro de tu ejército, se alzó de pronto un gran clamor: “¡A formar! ¡A formar!”, y las tropas fueron despertadas para quedar listas de inmediato para la batalla.»

Word by Word

महतिin the great (time/occasion)

अपररात्रेat the end of the night / very early morning

चand

तवof you / your

सैन्यस्यof the army

मारिषO venerable one / sir

योगःthe call/cry of 'prepare/array' (yoga)

योगेतिthus: 'yoga!' / 'prepare!'

सहसाsuddenly

प्रादुरासीत्appeared / arose

महास्वनःa great sound/clamor

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by address māriṣa and 'your army')

Kaurava army

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the disciplined urgency of a warrior host: at the threshold of battle, collective readiness and obedience to command become decisive. Ethically, it reflects the kṣatriya-world emphasis on preparedness and coordinated action, even amid the grim inevitability of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that before dawn a loud cry spread through the Kaurava camp—an order to assemble and take formation—signaling that the army is being rapidly organized for the day’s fighting.