Shloka 3

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

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ सेनाविभागं मे कुरुध्वं नरसत्तमा: । अक्षौहिण्यश्व सप्तैता: समेता विजयाय वै

Transliteration

tasmāt senāvibhāgaṃ me kurudhvaṃ narasattamāḥ | akṣauhiṇyaś ca sapta etāḥ sametā vijayāya vai ||

Translation

ไวศัมปายนะกล่าวว่า—ฉะนั้น โอ้ยอดแห่งมนุษย์ทั้งหลาย จงจัดแบ่งกองทัพตามที่เรากำหนดเถิด บัดนี้กองทัพอักษเษาหิณีทั้งเจ็ดได้มาชุมนุมพร้อมแล้ว—เพื่อชัยชนะโดยแท้

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that reason
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्
• Form: ablative singular used adverbially

• सेना-विभागम्: division/arrangement of the army
• सेना-विभागम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेनाविभाग
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• मे: of me / my
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: genitive, singular

• कुरुध्वम्: do/make (you all)!
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: imperative, 2nd, plural, parasmaipada

• नर-सत्तमाः: O best of men!
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरसत्तम
• Form: masculine, vocative, plural

• अक्षौहिण्यः: army-units (akṣauhiṇīs)
• अक्षौहिण्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षौहिणी
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सप्त: seven
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• एताः: these
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• समेताः: assembled/together
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-इ (समेत)
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• विजयाय: for victory
• विजयाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विजय
• Form: masculine, dative, singular

• वै: indeed/surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• seven akṣauhiṇīs
• army divisions (senā-vibhāga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes disciplined preparation and orderly organization before conflict: victory is linked not merely to numbers, but to proper structuring of forces under responsible leadership—an aspect of kṣatriya-dharma in the context of impending war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana reports a directive to the assembled leaders to arrange the army into divisions, noting that seven akṣauhiṇī formations have gathered and are expected to secure victory.