Shloka 35

Devanagari script

अनुतिष्ठ प्रतिज्ञां तां सत्यवाग्‌ भव तै: सह । एष ते पाण्डव: शत्रुरविशड्धगको5ग्रत: स्थित:

Transliteration

anutiṣṭha pratijñāṃ tāṃ satyavāg bhava taiḥ saha | eṣa te pāṇḍavaḥ śatrur aviśuddhaga-ko 'grataḥ sthitaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Fulfil that vow; let your speech be truthful, together with them. Here before you stands your Pāṇḍava foe—one whose conduct is not pure—ready in the forefront.”

Word by Word

अनुतिष्ठcarry out / fulfill

प्रतिज्ञाम्promise, vow

ताम्that (her/it)

सत्यवाक्truth-speaking

भवbecome / be

तैःwith them / by them

सहtogether with

एषःthis

तेyour

पाण्डवःthe Pandava (man)

शत्रुःenemy

अविशुद्धगःone whose course/going is not pure (unclean-going)

अग्रतःin front

स्थितःstanding

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Pāṇḍava (enemy/warrior of the Pāṇḍava side)

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 foregrounds two linked ideals: steadfastness to one’s pledged word (pratijñā) and truthfulness in speech (satyavāk). In the epic’s ethical frame, a vow is not merely personal resolve but a public moral bond; breaking it undermines honor and dharma, especially in a warrior context.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports an exhortation to fulfil a previously stated vow and to remain truthful, acting in concert with one’s allies. He points out that the Pāṇḍava-side enemy is already positioned in front, emphasizing immediacy and the pressure of the battlefield situation.