Shloka 29

Devanagari script

विस्तीर्ण चैव नः सैन्यं हन्याच्छिद्रेण वै पर: । प्लवोडुपप्रतारश्न नैवात्र मम रोचते,“इसके सिवा नौका आदिसे यात्रा करनेपर हमारी सेना छिट-फुट होकर बहुत दूरतक फैल जायगी। उस दशामें अवसर पाकर शत्रु इसका नाश भी कर सकता है। इसीलिये डोंगी और नाव आदिपर बैठकर पार उतरनेकी बात मुझे ठीक नहीं जँचती है

Transliteration

vistīrṇaṃ caiva naḥ sainyaṃ hanyāc chidreṇa vai paraḥ | plavōḍupa-pratāraś ca naivātra mama rōcate ||

Translation

Mārkaṇḍeya said: “If we attempt to cross by small boats and rafts, our army will be scattered and stretched out over a great distance. Then the enemy, finding an opening, could strike and destroy it. Therefore, the plan of crossing seated in dinghies and boats does not appeal to me here.”

Word by Word

विस्तीर्णम्spread out, dispersed

चand

एवindeed, just

नःof us/our

सैन्यम्army

हन्यात्might kill/destroy

छिद्रेणby/through a gap, by an opening (opportunity)

वैindeed, surely

परःthe other (enemy)

प्लवon a raft/float

उडुपon a boat

प्रतारश्नon a ferry/crossing-vessel (reading uncertain)

नnot

एवat all/indeed

अत्रhere, in this matter

ममmy

रोचतेis pleasing/appeals

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

our army (sainyam)

enemy (paraḥ)

rafts (plava)

boats (uḍupa)

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?

Sound leadership avoids creating avoidable vulnerabilities: dispersing one’s forces during a risky crossing invites the enemy to exploit gaps (chidra). Prudence and cohesion are presented as ethical duties in protecting one’s people.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya evaluates a proposed river-crossing by small craft and rejects it, warning that the army would become strung out and fragmented, giving the enemy a chance to attack and destroy them.