Shloka 96

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 130: Kuntī’s Instruction on Rājadharma and Daṇḍanīti

Devanagari script

अग्रे बभूवु: कृष्णस्य समुद्यतमहायुधा: । भीमसेन

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

agre babhūvuḥ kṛṣṇasya samudyata-mahāyudhāḥ |

bhīmasenaḥ yudhiṣṭhiraś ca tathā mādrīnandana-nakula-sahadevau bhagavataḥ pṛṣṭhabhāge sthitāḥ |

pradyumnādayo vṛṣṇivaṃśyā andhakavaṃśyāś ca yoddhā hastayoḥ viśālāyudhāni dhārayantaḥ bhagavataḥ agrabhāge prādurabhavan |

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。クリシュナの前には、大いなる武器を掲げた戦士たちが立っていた。主の後方には、ビーマセーナ、ユディシュティラ、そしてマードリーの子ら—ナクラとサハデーヴァ—が控えていた。主の前衛には、プラデュムナをはじめ、ヴリシュニ族・アンダカ族の英雄たちが、巨大な武器を手にして現れた。この陣形は、護りの秩序がダルマに則ることを示す。すなわち、正しき指導者は守られ、最前の戦士がクリシュナの導きのもと先陣を占めるのである。

Word by Word

• अग्रे: in front, ahead
• अग्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र
• Form: locative-adverb

• बभूवुः: became / were
• बभूवुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, plural, Parasmaipada

• कृष्णस्य: of Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• समुद्यत: raised, uplifted
• समुद्यत: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उद्-यत
• Form: past passive participle (kta), masculine, nominative, plural

• महा: great, huge
• महा: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: neuter, accusative, plural, as first member in compound; indeclinable-like form

• आयुधाः: weapons / armed warriors
• आयुधाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुध
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kṛṣṇa
• Bhīmasena
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Mādrī
• Pradyumna
• Vṛṣṇi lineage
• Andhaka lineage
• mahāyudha (great weapons)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic order in conflict: righteous leadership is safeguarded, and capable protectors take the front under Kṛṣṇa’s direction, suggesting that power should be organized to defend justice rather than to display aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a martial arrangement around Kṛṣṇa: armed Vṛṣṇi-Andhaka heroes (including Pradyumna) stand in front as the vanguard, while key Pāṇḍava figures—Bhīma, Yudhiṣṭhira, and the twins Nakula-Sahadeva—remain positioned behind him.