Shloka 19

Dvārakāyāṃ Sāhāyya-vibhāgaḥ (Alliance Allocation at Dvārakā) / उद्योगपर्व अध्याय ७

Devanagari script

ते वा युधि दुराधर्षा भवन्त्वेकस्थ सैनिका: । अयुध्यमान: संग्रामे न्यस्तशस्त्रो5हमेकत:

Transliteration

te vā yudhi durādharṣā bhavantv ekasthāḥ sainikāḥ | ayudhyamānaḥ saṅgrāme nyastaśastro 'ham ekataḥ ||

Translation

യുദ്ധത്തിൽ ദുർധർഷരായ ആ യോദ്ധാക്കൾ ഒരുമിച്ച് ചേർന്ന് ഒരു പക്ഷത്തിന്റെ സഘനസൈന്യമായി നിലകൊള്ളട്ടെ. ഞാൻ മാത്രം സമരത്തിൽ ഒരു വശത്ത്—ശസ്ത്രം വച്ചിറക്കി, യുദ്ധം ചെയ്യാതെ ഇരിക്കും.

Word by Word

तेthey

वाor/indeed (emphatic alternative)

युधिin battle

दुराधर्षाःhard to assail/irresistible

भवन्तुlet (them) be / may (they) become

एकस्थstationed in one place

सैनिकाःsoldiers

अयुध्यमानःnot fighting

संग्रामेin the battle

न्यस्तशस्त्रःhaving laid down weapons / with weapons set aside

अहम्I

एकतःon one side / alone

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śrīkṛṣṇa (speaker)

sainikāḥ (soldiers/warriors)

śastra (weapons)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights restraint and ethical positioning within conflict: even amid war, one may choose a role that limits violence (laying down weapons), while others may be organized as a unified force. It frames power not only as martial strength but also as disciplined self-limitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrīkṛṣṇa describes a proposed arrangement for battle: the warriors should stand together as a concentrated, formidable unit, while he himself will remain apart, unarmed and not participating in combat—signaling a deliberate, principled non-fighting stance within the larger war setting.