Shloka 18

Devanagari script

पादे तु दक्षिणे राजन्‌ गौतम: सत्यविक्रम: । त्रिगर्तें: सुमहेष्वासैर्दाक्षिणात्यैश्व संवृत:,राजन! व्यूहके दाहिने पैरके स्थानमें महाधनुर्धर त्रिगर्तों और दाक्षिणात्योंसे घिरे हुए सत्यपराक्रमी कृपाचार्य खड़े थे

Transliteration

pāde tu dakṣiṇe rājan gautamaḥ satyavikramaḥ | trigartaiḥ sumāheṣvāsair dākṣiṇātyaiś ca saṃvṛtaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: “O King, on the right foot of the battle-formation stood Gautama—Kṛpācārya—of unfailing valor, surrounded by the Trigartas, mighty archers, and by the warriors of the southern lands.”

Word by Word

पादेat the foot/at the position (side)

तुbut/indeed

दक्षिणेon the right (side)

राजन्O king

गौतमःGautama (Kripa)

सत्यविक्रमःof true valor

त्रिगर्तैःby/with the Trigartas

सुमहेष्वासैःwith very great bowmen

दाक्षिणात्यैःwith the Southerners (Dakshinatyas)

चand

संवृतःsurrounded/encircled

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Kṛpācārya (Gautama/Kṛpa)

Trigartas

Dākṣiṇātyas (southern warriors)

battle-formation (vyūha)

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 the ethical weight of duty and loyalty in war: renowned elders like Kṛpācārya, though personally venerable, stand firmly in their assigned position within the Kaurava array, exemplifying steadfastness to role (svadharma) amid a morally fraught conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing the Kaurava battle-formation to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, specifying that Kṛpācārya (Gautama) is stationed on the right ‘foot’ of the formation, protected and supported by Trigarta archers and southern contingents.