Shloka 23

त्रिगर्त-मात्स्य-संग्रामः

The Trigarta–Matsya Engagement at Twilight

Devanagari script

प्रतिमुञ्चन्तु गात्रेषु दीयन्तामायुधानि च । वीराज़रूपा: पुरुषा नागराजकरोपमा:,“अतः इनके लिये भी ध्वजा और पताकाओंसे सुशोभित रथ दो। ये भी अपने अंगोंमें ऊपरसे दृढ़, किंतु भीतरसे कोमल और विचित्र कवच धारण कर लें। फिर इन्हें भी सब प्रकारके अस्त्र-शस्त्र अर्पित करो। इनके अंग और स्वरूप वीरोचित जान पड़ते हैं। इन वीर पुरुषोंकी भुजाएँ गजराजकी सूँड़दण्डकी भाँति शोभा पाती हैं

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

pratimun̄cantu gātreṣu dīyantām āyudhāni ca |

vīrājarūpāḥ puruṣā nāgarājakaropamāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Biarkan mereka mengenakan zirah pada tubuh mereka, dan berikan juga senjata kepada mereka. Orang-orang ini tampak benar-benar dalam rupa para wira; lengan mereka bagaikan belalai gagah gajah raja.”

Word by Word

प्रतिमुञ्चन्तुlet them put on / fasten (upon)

गात्रेषुon the limbs/bodies

दीयन्ताम्let (them) be given

आयुधानिweapons

चand

वीरheroic

अजरूपाःhaving the form of goats

पुरुषाःmen/persons

नागराजof the king of elephants

करhand; (also) elephant’s trunk

उपमाःcomparable to; like

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

armor (kavaca implied)

weapons (āyudha)

lordly elephant (nāgarāja)

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 the kṣatriya ideal of readiness and disciplined preparation: those who are to act in a martial role should be properly equipped, and their outward bearing should match the responsibilities they are about to undertake.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Virāṭa episode, instructions are being given to outfit certain men for battle—having them put on protective gear and receive weapons—while describing their heroic build, especially their powerful arms likened to those of great elephants.