Shloka 44

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

Devanagari script

परेषां प्रतिघातार्थ पदातीनां च बृंहणम्‌ । अपि तस्मिन्‌ पुरे वृद्धा भवेयुर्ये पुरोगमा:

Transliteration

pareṣāṁ pratighātārthaṁ padātīnāṁ ca bṛṁhaṇam | api tasmin pure vṛddhā bhaveyur ye purogamāḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma dit : Dans cette cité, que les anciens placés à l’avant encouragent et affermissent les fantassins, afin qu’ils puissent affronter et abattre l’ennemi.

Word by Word

• परेषाम्: of the enemies/others
• परेषाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• प्रतिघात-अर्थम्: for the purpose of repelling/striking back
• प्रतिघात-अर्थम्: Prayojana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिघात (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पदातीनाम्: of the foot-soldiers/infantry
• पदातीनाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• बृंहणम्: encouragement/strengthening
• बृंहणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृंहण (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अपि: also/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पुरे: in the city
• पुरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वृद्धाः: elders/old men
• वृद्धाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भवेयुः: should be/might be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Plural

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पुरोगमाः: leaders/those who go in front
• पुरोगमाः: Karta
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: पुरोगम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• city (pura)
• elders (vṛddhāḥ)
• infantry (padātayaḥ)
• enemies (pare)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Elders and leaders must take an active role in safeguarding society: by standing at the forefront and strengthening the morale and resolve of the soldiers, they ensure disciplined and effective defense against enemies.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s discourse on governance and public security in the Shanti Parva, he outlines practical measures for a city’s defense, emphasizing that senior, respected figures should lead and encourage the infantry to repel hostile forces.