Shloka 23

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

Devanagari script

रथस्य नागा: पञ्चाशन्नागस्यथासन्‌ शतं हया: । हयस्य पुरुषा: सप्त भिन्नसंधानकारिण:

Transliteration

rathasya nāgāḥ pañcāśan nāgasya cāsan śataṃ hayāḥ | hayasya puruṣāḥ sapta bhinnasaṃdhānakāriṇaḥ ||

Translation

વૈશંપાયન બોલ્યા—દરેક રથની પાછળ પચાસ-પચાસ હાથી હતા; દરેક હાથીની પાછળ સો-સો ઘોડા; અને દરેક ઘોડા સાથે સાત-સાત પદાતિ સૈનિક—વિખૂટા પડેલા દળોને ફરી જોડીને એકત્ર કરવા માટે ગોઠવાયેલા હતા.

Word by Word

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

• नागाः: elephants
• नागाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पञ्चाशत्: fifty
• पञ्चाशत्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चाशत्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• नागस्य: of an elephant
• नागस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अथ: then/and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

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

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• हयाः: horses
• हयाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• पुरुषाः: men/foot-soldiers
• पुरुषाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सप्त: seven
• सप्त: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त
• Form: Nominative/Accusative, Plural (indeclinable numeral)

• भिन्न: separated
• भिन्न: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिद्
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine (implied with सेनाः/टुकड़ियाँ), Accusative, Dual (implied)

• सन्धान: joining/reconnection
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्धान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (as first member in compound), Singular

• कारिणः: makers/doers (those who effect)
• कारिणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कारिन्
• Form: Agent noun (णिनि/इन्), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• ratha (chariot)
• nāga (elephant)
• haya (horse)
• puruṣa (foot-soldier)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in warfare, effectiveness depends on disciplined organization and the capacity to restore cohesion when units break apart; leadership is shown in planning for reunification rather than letting disorder spread.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a structured deployment: chariots supported by elephants, elephants by horses, and horses by foot-soldiers, with the foot-soldiers tasked to reconnect separated groups and maintain formation integrity.