Shloka 2

कुरुसभायां केशवागमन-सत्कारविधानम् / Preparations to Honor Keśava at the Kuru Court

Devanagari script

पदातीनां सहस्नं च सादिनां च परंतप । भोज्यं च विपुलं राजन प्रेष्याश्न शतशो5परे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

padātīnāṃ sahasraṃ ca sādīnāṃ ca parantapa |

bhojyaṃ ca vipulaṃ rājan preṣyāś ca śataśo 'pare ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「敵を焼き尽くす王よ、さらに歩兵一千、騎兵一千、豊かな糧食、そして他にも数百の従者がいた。」この語りは、正しき使命であっても現実の備え—護衛、兵站、規律ある随行—をもって遂行されねばならぬことを示し、迫る争乱の中で義務を全うするための周到さを語る。

Word by Word

• पदातीनाम्: of foot-soldiers
• पदातीनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पदाति
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सादिनाम्: of horsemen (mounted warriors)
• सादिनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सादि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• परंतप: O scorcher of foes
• Type: Noun
• Root: परंतप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भोज्यम्: food, provisions
• भोज्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोज्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• विपुलम्: abundant, ample
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विपुल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रेष्याः: attendants, servants
• प्रेष्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेष्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अन्ये: others
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शतशः: by hundreds, in hundreds
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतशः

• अपरे: others, additional
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya
• infantry (padāti)
• cavalry (sādī)
• provisions/food supplies (bhojya)
• attendants/servants (preṣya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical practicality of dharma in action: even when pursuing a rightful objective, one must ensure orderly support—troops, supplies, and attendants—so that responsibility is fulfilled without negligence or avoidable risk.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues describing the king’s arrangements: a sizeable escort of infantry and cavalry, ample provisions, and many attendants accompany the principal figure’s departure, indicating a formal, protected journey in a tense political-military context.