Shloka 10

Devanagari script

एवं ये कुशल शूरं हितेप्सितमकल्मषम्‌ | सेनापतिं प्रकुर्वन्ति ते जयन्ति रणे रिपून्‌,“इस प्रकार जो लोग किसी हितैषी, पापरहित तथा युद्ध-कुशल शूरवीरको सेनापति बना लेते हैं, वे संग्राममें शत्रुओंपर अवश्य विजय पाते हैं

Transliteration

evaṁ ye kuśalaśūraṁ hitepsitam akalmaṣam | senāpatiṁ prakurvanti te jayanti raṇe ripūn ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Ceux qui choisissent pour commandant un guerrier habile au combat, dévoué au bien des siens et sans souillure morale, remportent à coup sûr la victoire sur l’ennemi dans la mêlée.

Word by Word

एवम्thus, in this manner

येwho (those who)

कुशलम्skilled

शूरम्hero, brave man

हितbeneficial, welfare (as 'good')

ईप्सितम्desired, sought

अकल्मषम्sinless, stainless

सेनापतिम्commander of the army

प्रकुर्वन्तिthey appoint, they make

तेthey, those

जयन्तिthey conquer, they win

रणेin battle

रिपून्enemies

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

senāpati (army commander)

ripū (enemies)

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?

Victory in war is linked to the right choice of leadership: a commander should be competent (kuśala), courageous (śūra), committed to the welfare of his side (hitepsita), and morally untainted (akalmaṣa). The verse presents ethical fitness as a practical force-multiplier, not merely an ideal.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana states a general principle about warfare and governance: those who install a capable and virtuous hero as senāpati gain success against enemies in battle. It functions as counsel on selecting commanders during the tense pre-war deliberations of the Udyoga Parva.