Shloka 42

Devanagari script

तथैव तावका: सर्वे पुरस्कृत्य यतव्रतम्‌ । शिखण्डिप्रमुखान्‌ पार्थान्‌ योधयन्ति सम संयुगे,इसी प्रकार आपके समस्त योद्धा ब्रह्मचर्य-व्रतका पालन करनेवाले भीष्मको युद्धमें आगे रखकर शिखण्डी आदि पाण्डव महारथियोंका सामना करने लगे

Transliteration

tathaiva tāvakāḥ sarve puraskṛtya yatavratam | śikhaṇḍipramukhān pārthān yodhayanti samaṃ yuge ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “In the same way, all your warriors, placing the strict-vowed Bhīṣma at the forefront, engaged in battle against the Pāṇḍava champions led by Śikhaṇḍin, meeting them evenly in the clash.”

Word by Word

तथाthus, in the same way

एवindeed, just

तावकाःyour (men), your side's

सर्वेall

पुरस्कृत्यhaving placed in front; having put forward

यतव्रतम्one of restrained vow; vow-observant

शिखण्डि-प्रमुखान्having Śikhaṇḍin as foremost; led by Śikhaṇḍin

पार्थान्the sons of Pṛthā (Pāṇḍavas)

योधयन्तिthey fight (against); they engage in battle

समेin equal/level (battle); in fair combat

संयुगेin battle, in combat

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by ‘your’)

Bhīṣma

Śikhaṇḍin

Pārthas (Pāṇḍavas)

Kauravas (Tāvakāḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how personal discipline and vows (vrata)—exemplified by Bhīṣma—become sources of authority and morale in war, yet remain entangled with ethical complexity: revered virtue is deployed as an instrument within a violent conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that the Kaurava forces advance with Bhīṣma at their head and engage the Pāṇḍava side, especially the warriors led by Śikhaṇḍin, in a direct and evenly matched confrontation on the battlefield.