Shloka 17

Devanagari script

दशैते पुरुषव्याप्रा: शूरा परिघबाहव: । अक्षौहिणीनां पतयो यज्वानो भूरिदक्षिणा:,सुबलपुत्र शकुनि, शल्य, स्विन्धुनरेश जयद्रथ, विन्द-अनुविन्द, केकयराजकुमार, काम्बोजराज सुदक्षिण, कलिंगराज श्रुतायुध, राजा जयत्सेन, कोशलनरेश बृहद्वधल तथा भोजवंशी कृतवर्मा--ये दस पुरुषसिंह शूरवीर क्षत्रिय एक-एक अक्षौहिणी सेनाके अधिनायक थे। इनकी भुजाएँ परिघोंके समान मोटी दिखायी देती थीं। इन सबने बड़े-बड़े यज्ञ किये थे और उनमें प्रचुर दक्षिणाएँ दी थीं

Transliteration

daśaite puruṣavyāprāḥ śūrā pari-gha-bāhavaḥ | akṣauhiṇīnāṃ patayo yajvāno bhūri-dakṣiṇāḥ ||

Translation

Sepuluh pria bak harimau ini—para pahlawan berlengan sekuat gada besi—adalah panglima pasukan; masing-masing menjadi tuan atas satu akṣauhiṇī. Mereka termasyhur sebagai pelaksana yajña yang menganugerahkan dāna dan dakṣiṇā berlimpah.

Word by Word

दशten

एतेthese

पुरुषव्याप्राःtiger-like men (man-tigers)

शूराःheroes, valiant

परिघबाहवःhaving arms like iron bars/maces

अक्षौहिणीनाम्of (the) akṣauhiṇī armies

पतयःlords, commanders

यज्वानःsacrificers (performers of yajñas)

भूरिदक्षिणाःhaving abundant sacrificial gifts

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

akṣauhiṇī

dakṣiṇā

yajña

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that worldly merit (great sacrifices and generous gifts) and martial excellence can coexist with participation in destructive war; it invites reflection on how dharma is tested when power, prestige, and duty converge on the battlefield.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the prominent Kaurava-side leaders who each command an akṣauhiṇī, emphasizing their strength and their reputation as accomplished sacrificers and generous patrons.