Shloka 46

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 50 — Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Appraisal of Bhīmasena (भीमसेनभयवर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

आर्यव्रतं तु जानन्त: संगरान्तं विधित्सव: । सेनामुखेषु स्थास्यन्ति मामकानां नरर्षभा:,तथापि ये नरश्रेष्ठ शिष्ट पुरुषोंके व्रतको जानते हैं, इसलिये युद्धमें प्राणत्याग करनेकी इच्छासे मेरे पुत्रोंकी सेनाके अग्रभागमें डटे रहेंगे

Transliteration

āryavrataṃ tu jānantaḥ saṅgarāntaṃ vidhitsavaḥ | senāmukheṣu sthāsyanti māmakānāṃ nararṣabhāḥ ||

Translation

Dijo Dhṛtarāṣṭra: «Esos hombres, cual toros, conocedores del noble código de conducta y deseosos de hallar su fin en la batalla, se mantendrán firmes en la vanguardia misma del ejército de mis hijos».

Word by Word

आर्यव्रतम्the noble code/vow (of the righteous)

तुbut/indeed

जानन्तःknowing

सङ्गरान्तम्the end/limit in battle (i.e., death in battle)

विधित्सवःdesiring to attain/bring about

सेनामुखेषुin the fronts/vanguards of the army

स्थास्यन्तिthey will stand/remain

मामकानाम्of my (people/sons)

नरर्षभाःbulls among men, best of men

Speaker

धृतराष्ट उवाच

Characters & Entities

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Kaurava army (māmakāḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames frontline fighting as an expression of āryavrata—an honorable ethical code—where elite warriors accept the risk of death as part of their dharma and commitment to their side.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhṛtarāṣṭra describes how eminent warriors on the Kaurava side, motivated by honor and readiness to die in battle, will take position at the very front of his sons’ forces.