Shloka 2

Rukmī’s Offer of Aid and Arjuna’s Refusal (रुक्मिप्रस्तावः—अर्जुनप्रत्याख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

ऋते सेनाप्रणेतारं पृतना सुमहत्यपि । दीर्यते युद्धमासाद्य पिपीलिकपुटं यथा

Transliteration

ṛte senāpraṇetāraṃ pṛtanā sumahaty api | dīryate yuddham āsādya pipīlikapuṭaṃ yathā ||

Translation

「大祖父よ。いかに大軍といえども、ふさわしい総大将を欠けば、戦場に臨んだとたんに崩れ散り、蟻の列のように踏み砕かれてしまいます。」

Word by Word

• ऋते: without, except
• ऋते: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऋते
• Form: indeclinable; governs accusative; sense: 'without/except'

• सेना-प्रणेतारम्: the leader/commander of the army
• सेना-प्रणेतारम्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणेतृ (प्र + नी)
• Form: masculine; accusative; singular

• पृतना: army
• पृतना: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृतना
• Form: feminine; nominative; singular

• सुमहती: very great, huge
• सुमहती: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहत्
• Form: feminine; nominative; singular (agreeing with पृतना)

• अपि: even, although
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि
• Form: indeclinable

• दीर्यते: is torn apart, is shattered
• Type: Verb
• Root: दॄ (दीर्यते)
• Form: present; indicative; passive; 3rd person; singular

• युद्धम्: battle, war
• युद्धम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध
• Form: neuter; accusative; singular

• आसाद्य: having encountered, having gone into
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + सद्
• Form: absolutive (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्); indeclinable; sense: 'having reached/encountered'

• पिपीलिका-पुटम्: an ant-cluster/ant-heap (lit. 'bundle of ants')
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुट
• Form: neuter; accusative; singular

• यथा: as, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा
• Form: indeclinable

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• senāpraṇetā (army commander)
• pṛtanā (army)
• yuddha (battle)
• pipīlikā (ants)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power without guidance is self-defeating: even a huge force collapses in conflict if it lacks a capable commander who can organize, direct, and restrain it. The ethical implication is that responsibility and disciplined leadership are essential to prevent destructive chaos.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana uses a vivid simile to stress a practical lesson relevant to the impending Kurukṣetra conflict: armies need a qualified senāpati. Without such leadership, troops entering battle are broken up like an ant-line trampled and scattered.