Shloka 22

पाण्डवसेनानायकाभिषेकः तथा बलरामागमन-उपदेशः | Appointment of Pandava Commanders and Balarama’s Counsel

Devanagari script

रथस्यासन्‌ दश गजा गजस्य दश वाजिन: । नरा दश हयस्यासन्‌ पादरक्षा: समन्ततः

Transliteration

rathasyāsan daśa gajā gajasya daśa vājinaḥ | narā daśa hayasyāsan pādarakṣāḥ samantataḥ |

Translation

વૈશંપાયન બોલ્યા—દરેક રથની પાછળ દસ-દસ હાથી ગોઠવાયેલા હતા; દરેક હાથીની પાછળ દસ-દસ ઘોડા; અને દરેક ઘોડાની પાછળ દસ-દસ પદાતિ સૈનિક—ચારેય બાજુ પાદરક્ષા તરીકે નિયુક્ત હતા.

Word by Word

• रथस्य: of the chariot
• रथस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• आसन्: were
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• दश: ten
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गजाः: elephants
• गजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गजस्य: of an elephant
• गजस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• दश: ten
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वाजिनः: horses
• वाजिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाजिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दश: ten
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हयस्य: of a horse
• हयस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• आसन्: were
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• पादरक्षाः: foot-guards (infantry protectors)
• पादरक्षाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादरक्षा
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततस्

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• ratha (chariot)
• gaja (elephant)
• haya/vājin (horse)
• pādarakṣāḥ (foot-guards/infantry)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined organization and layered protection in warfare: valuable units (like chariots) are safeguarded by successive rings of support (elephants, horses, infantry), implying that strength is sustained by orderly coordination and responsible guarding.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a battle formation in which each chariot is backed by ten elephants, each elephant by ten horses, and each horse by ten foot-soldiers stationed all around as protective guards.