Shloka 22

Śaineya’s Breakthrough and Reunion with Arjuna (शैनेयस्य समागमः)

Devanagari script

भृताश्न बहवो योधा: परीक्ष्यैव महारथा: । वेतनेन यथायोगं प्रियवादेन चापरे,हमने दूसरे बहुत-से महारथी योद्धाओंकी परीक्षा करके ही उन्हें सेनामें भर्ती किया है और यथायोग्य वेतन देकर तथा प्रिय वचन बोलकर उनका सत्कार किया है

Transliteration

bhṛtāśnā bahavo yodhāḥ parīkṣyaiva mahārathāḥ | vetanena yathāyogaṃ priyavādena cāpare ||

Translation

Sañjaya dit : « Bien des guerriers —de grands combattants de char— n’ont été pris à notre service qu’après avoir été éprouvés ; et d’autres encore ont été honorés comme il se doit, par des gages convenables et par des paroles agréables et respectueuses. »

Word by Word

भृताश्नone who maintains (pays/feeds) others; the employer/maintainer

बहवःmany

योधाःwarriors

परीक्ष्यhaving examined/tested

एवindeed/only

महारथाःgreat chariot-warriors (maharathas)

वेतनेनby wages/pay

यथायोगम्as appropriate; according to fitness

प्रियवादेनby pleasant speech

चand

अपरेothers

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

mahāratha warriors

hired soldiers (bhṛtāśnāḥ)

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?

Effective and ethical command relies not only on force but on prudent selection (testing competence) and fair treatment—rewarding service with appropriate pay and maintaining loyalty through respectful, pleasing speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports how warriors were brought into the army: some were recruited after careful evaluation of their capability as great chariot-fighters, while others were retained and honoured through suitable wages and courteous words—highlighting the practical means by which a war-host is sustained.