Shloka 40

Devanagari script

मध्यमं जवमास्थाय वह मामत्र सारथे | बाह्लिका यत्र दृश्यन्ते नानाप्रहरणोद्यता:

Transliteration

madhyamaṃ javam āsthāya vaha mām atra sārathe | bāhlīkā yatra dṛśyante nānāpraharaṇodyatāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Taking up a moderate speed, drive me here, O charioteer—toward the place where the Bāhlīkas are seen, standing ready with weapons of many kinds.”

Word by Word

• मध्यमम्: middle/moderate
• मध्यमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मध्यम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• जवम्: speed
• जवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आस्थाय: having assumed/taken up
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-स्था (स्था)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• वह: carry/drive (me)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह्
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• सारथे: O charioteer
• सारथे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सारथि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• बाह्लिकाः: the Bāhlikas
• बाह्लिकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाह्लिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen/appear
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Present (Laṭ), Third, Plural, Ātmanepada (passive sense)

• नाना-प्रहरण-उद्यताः: ready with various weapons
• नाना-प्रहरण-उद्यताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्यत (from ud-यम्) / प्रहरण / नाना
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• sārathi (charioteer)
• Bāhlīkas
• weapons (praharaṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined action in crisis: even amid war, movement is regulated (“moderate speed”) and directed by clear situational awareness—an ethic of controlled conduct rather than reckless haste.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya issues an instruction to his charioteer to proceed at a measured pace toward the location where the Bāhlīka fighters are visible, standing armed and prepared for battle.