Shloka 38

Devanagari script

रात्रे: शेषे व्यतिक्रान्ते प्रयास्यामो रणाजिरम्‌ । अधिवासितश्त्राश्व॒ कृतकौतुकमड़ला:,अतः वक्ताओंमें श्रेष्ठ श्रीकृष्ण अपना विचार प्रकट करें। इस समय रात्रि है। हम अभी सेनापतिका निर्वाचन करके रात बीतनेपर अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंका अधिवासन (गन्ध आदि उपचारोंद्वारा पूजन), कौतुक (रक्षाबन्धन आदि) तथा मंगलकृत्य (स्वस्तिवाचन आदि) करनेके अनन्तर श्रीकृष्णके अधीन हो समरांगणकी यात्रा करेंगे

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | rātreḥ śeṣe vyatikrānte prayāsyāmo raṇājiram | adhivāsita-śastrāśvaḥ kṛta-kautuka-maṇḍalāḥ ||

Translation

रात्रेः शेषे व्यतिक्रान्ते प्रयास्यामो रणाजिरम् । अधिवासितशस्त्राश्वाः कृतकौतुकमङ्गलाः ॥

Word by Word

रात्रेःof the night

शेषेin the remainder (last part)

व्यतिक्रान्तेhaving passed / elapsed

प्रयास्यामःwe shall go / set out

रणाजिरम्to the battlefield

अधिवासितconsecrated / ritually perfumed (by adhivāsana)

अस्त्रweapon (missile-weapon)

अश्वhorse

कृतdone / performed

कौतुकprotective rite / auspicious token (kautuka)

मङ्गलाःauspicious (ones) / auspicious rites

Speaker

युधिषछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Raṇājira (battlefield)

Śastra (weapons)

Aśva (horses)

Kṛṣṇa

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?

Even when war becomes unavoidable, action should be undertaken with restraint, order, and dharmic intention—seeking wise guidance (here, Kṛṣṇa) and beginning with rites that symbolize responsibility, protection, and auspicious resolve rather than impulsive violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

On the eve of departure for battle, Yudhiṣṭhira states that once the night ends they will march to the battlefield, but only after completing customary preparations: consecrating weapons and horses and performing protective and auspicious ceremonies, then proceeding under Kṛṣṇa’s leadership.