Previous Verse

Shloka 483

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

आगतं मे मित्रबलं प्रहरध्वमभीतवत्‌ | अपनी सेना उत्कृष्ट अवस्थामें हो या निकृष्ट अवस्थामें, बात सच्ची हो या झूठी, हाथ ऊपर उठाकर हल्ला मचाते हुए कहे, “वह देखो, शत्रु भाग रहे हैं, भाग रहे हैं, हमारी मित्रसेना आ गयी। अब निर्भय होकर प्रहार करो”

āgataṃ me mitrabalaṃ praharadhvam abhītavat |

എന്റെ മിത്രസേന എത്തിയിരിക്കുന്നു; ഭയമില്ലാതെ പ്രഹരിക്കുവിൻ.

आगतम्has come/arrived
आगतम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootआ-गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
मेmy/of me
मे:
Sampradana
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
Form—, Genitive, Singular
मित्रबलम्the allied/friendly force
मित्रबलम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमित्र + बल
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
प्रहरध्वम्strike! attack!
प्रहरध्वम्:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-हृ (धातु) (परस्मैपद) → प्रहरति
FormImperative (लोट्), Second, Plural, Parasmaipada
अभीतवत्fearlessly, like one unafraid
अभीतवत्:
Karana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअभीत + वत्
Formtrue

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
M
mitrabala (allied army)
Ś
śatru (enemy, implied by the accompanying sense)

Educational Q&A

The verse urges fearless action supported by confidence in allies; in context it highlights how leadership and speech can shape morale, even raising ethical questions about using true or false proclamations as wartime strategy.

Bhīṣma instructs that when allied support arrives—or is announced as arriving—soldiers should be rallied to attack boldly, with shouted claims that the enemy is fleeing and that friendly forces have come.