Shloka 34

Kaurava Mobilization at Kurukṣetra (Duryodhana Orders War Preparations) / कुरुक्षेत्रे धार्तराष्ट्र-सैन्यसज्जा

Devanagari script

यमाह कृष्णो दाशार्ह: सो<स्तु सेनापतिर्मम । कृतास्त्रो5प्यकृतास्त्रो वा वृद्धो वा यदि वा युवा,अतः दशाहकुलभूषण श्रीकृष्ण जिसका नाम बतावें, वही हमारी सेनाका प्रधान सेनापति हो। फिर वह अस्त्र-विद्यामें निपुण हो या न हो, वृद्ध हो या युवा हो (इसकी चिन्ता अपने लोगोंको नहीं करनी चाहिये)

Transliteration

yam āha kṛṣṇo dāśārhaḥ so 'stu senāpatir mama | kṛtāstro 'py akṛtāstro vā vṛddho vā yadi vā yuva ||

Translation

युधिष्ठिर उवाच— यमाह कृष्णो दाशार्हः सोऽस्तु सेनापतिर्मम । कृतास्त्रोऽप्यकृतास्त्रो वा वृद्धो वा यदि वा युवा ॥

Word by Word

यम्whom

आहsaid

कृष्णःKrishna

दाशार्हःthe Dasharha (descendant of Dasharha)

सःhe

अस्तुlet (him) be

सेनापतिःcommander of the army

ममof me / my

कृतास्त्रःtrained in weapons (having mastered weapons)

अपिeven / also

अकृतास्त्रःuntrained in weapons

वाor

वृद्धःold

वाor

यदिif

वाor

युवाyoung

Speaker

युधिषछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Kṛṣṇa (Dāśārha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Yudhiṣṭhira models dharmic leadership by subordinating personal preference and conventional metrics (age or technical martial training) to trusted, wise counsel—here, Kṛṣṇa’s judgment—emphasizing unity, confidence, and moral clarity in decision-making.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the preparations for war in the Udyoga Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira declares that whoever Kṛṣṇa designates should be appointed commander-in-chief of his forces, and he instructs his side not to worry about the nominee’s age or level of weapons-training.