Shloka 30

Chapter 19: Prativyūha of the Pāṇḍavas — Vajra (Acala) Formation and Dawn Omens

Devanagari script

पादातास्त्वग्रतो5गच्छन्नसिशक्त्यूष्टिपाणय: । अनेकशतसाहस््रा भीमसेनस्य रक्षिण:,भीमसेनकी रक्षाके लिये उनके आगे-आगे हाथोंमें खड़ग, शक्ति तथा ऋष्टि लिये कई लाख पैदल सैनिक चल रहे थे

Transliteration

pādātās tv agrato ’gacchann asi-śakty-ṛṣṭi-pāṇayaḥ | aneka-śata-sahasrā bhīmasenasya rakṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

भीमसेन की रक्षा के लिए उसके आगे-आगे असंख्य पैदल सैनिक चले—कई लाख—हाथों में खड्ग, शक्ति और ऋष्टि लिए। वे युद्ध में बढ़ते हुए भीम की रक्षा-ड्यूटी निभा रहे थे।

Word by Word

• पादाताः: foot-soldiers
• पादाताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादात
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• अग्रतः: in front/ahead
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतस्

• अगच्छन्: went/were going
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• असि: sword
• असि: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (in compound sense), Singular

• शक्ति: spear/javelin
• शक्ति: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (in compound sense), Singular

• ऋष्टि: lance/pike
• ऋष्टि: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (in compound sense), Singular

• पाणयः: hands (i.e., men with hands holding weapons)
• पाणयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाणि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अनेक: many
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शत: hundred
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Stem member (in compound), Singular

• सहस्राः: thousands (i.e., many hundreds of thousands)
• सहस्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भीमसेनस्य: of Bhimasena
• भीमसेनस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीमसेन
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• रक्षिणः: guards/protectors
• रक्षिणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīmasena (Bhīma)
• pādātāḥ (infantry)
• asi (sword)
• śakti (spear/javelin)
• ṛṣṭi (lance/pike)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights rakṣā (protective duty) as a concrete expression of dharma in wartime: those assigned to guard a key warrior must act with vigilance and readiness, placing collective responsibility above individual display.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the battlefield movement: a large contingent of infantry, armed with swords, spears, and lances, marches ahead of Bhīmasena as his protective screen, indicating Bhīma’s strategic importance and the intensity of the coming clash.