Shloka 176

Adhyāya 195 — Arjuna’s Capability and Restraint Regarding Divyāstras

Udyoga Parva

Devanagari script

अन्वयातां तदा मध्ये वासुदेवधनंजयौ । बीचके दलमें राजाने विराट

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | anvayātāṁ tadā madhye vāsudeva-dhanañjayau | bīcake dala-madhye rājānaṁ virāṭaṁ jayatsenaṁ tathā pāñcāla-deśīyaṁ mahā-rathiṁ yudhāmanyuṁ ca uttamaujasaṁ ca nyadhāt | gadā-dhanur-dharau etau vīrau mahā-parākramau manasvinau ca | tadā teṣāṁ sarveṣāṁ madhya-bhāge bhagavān śrīkṛṣṇaḥ arjunaś ca senāyāḥ pṛṣṭhataḥ pṛṣṭhataḥ yayatuḥ |

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Entonces Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa) y Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) avanzaron por el centro de la formación. En el corazón del despliegue fueron situados el rey Virāṭa, Jayatsena y los grandes guerreros de carro de Pāñcāla, Yudhāmanyu y Uttamaujas. Esos dos héroes, con maza y arco en las manos, eran poderosos en hazañas y firmes de ánimo. En aquel momento, en medio de todos ellos, el Señor Śrī Kṛṣṇa y Arjuna marchaban, siguiendo tras el ejército.

Word by Word

• अन्वयाताम्: let the two follow / let them proceed after
• अन्वयाताम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-इ (धातु: इ)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथम, द्विवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य
• Form: नपुंसक, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• वासुदेव: Vasudeva (Krishna)
• वासुदेव: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• धनंजयौ: the two Dhananjayas (i.e., Arjuna) / (here: the pair: Vasudeva and Dhananjaya)
• धनंजयौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• वासुदेवधनंजयौ: Vasudeva and Dhananjaya (Krishna and Arjuna)
• वासुदेवधनंजयौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव + धनंजय
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• Virāṭa
• Jayatsena
• Pāñcāla
• Yudhāmanyu
• Uttamaujas
• gadā (mace)
• dhanus (bow)
• senā (army)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in a war narrative, the verse highlights disciplined order and responsible leadership: key protectors and commanders are placed centrally, while Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna move in a controlled position relative to the army, suggesting strategy guided by steadiness and dharmic restraint rather than chaos.

What is happening in the narrative?

The allied forces are being arranged in formation. Virāṭa, Jayatsena, and the Pāñcāla champions Yudhāmanyu and Uttamaujas are stationed in the centre; Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) and Arjuna (Dhanañjaya) proceed amid them, moving behind the army as the host advances.