Shloka 96

Devanagari script

अग्रतः सर्वसैन्यानां स्थिता व्यूहस्य दंशिता: । उधर राजा युधिष्ठिर, पाण्डुकुमार भीमसेन, माद्रीके दोनों पुत्र नकुल और सहदेव सब सेनाओं तथा व्यूहके अग्र भागमें कवच बाँधकर खड़े हुए

Transliteration

agrataḥ sarvasainyānāṁ sthitā vyūhasya daṁśitāḥ | udhara rājā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ pāṇḍukumāro bhīmasenaḥ mādrīke dvau putrau nakulaḥ saha­devaś ca sarvasenāsu tathā vyūhasyāgra-bhāge kavacaṁ baddhvā tiṣṭhanti |

Translation

सब सेनाओं के अग्रभाग में, व्यूह के शीर्ष पर, राजा युधिष्ठिर, पाण्डव भीमसेन तथा माद्री के दोनों पुत्र—नकुल और सहदेव—कवच बाँधकर दृढ़ निश्चय के साथ खड़े थे।

Word by Word

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र
• Form: Avyaya (adverb)

• सर्वसैन्यानाम्: of all armies
• सर्वसैन्यानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वसैन्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• स्थिता: stood/placed
• स्थिता: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: Past passive participle, Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• व्यूहस्य: of the battle-array
• व्यूहस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यूह
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• दंशिताः: armoured, having put on armour
• दंशिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दंशित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīmasena
• Mādrī
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• vyūha (battle-formation)
• kavaca (armor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: leaders do not remain behind but take responsibility at the forefront, prepared and disciplined, placing duty and protection of their side above personal comfort.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports the Pāṇḍava leaders’ positioning: Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva stand at the head of the battle-array, armored and ready, indicating the imminent engagement and the organized nature of the armies.