Shloka 13

पाण्डवसेनानायकाभिषेकः तथा बलरामागमन-उपदेशः | Appointment of Pandava Commanders and Balarama’s Counsel

Devanagari script

चतुर्युजो रथा: सर्वे सर्वे चोत्तमवाजिन: । सप्रासऋष्टिका: सर्वे सर्वे शतशरासना:,उन सभी रथोंमें चार-चार घोड़े जुते हुए थे, वे सभी घोड़े अच्छी जातिके थे और सम्पूर्ण रथोंमें प्रास, ऋष्टि एवं सौ-सौ धनुष रखे गये थे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | caturyujā rathāḥ sarve sarve cottamavājinaḥ | saprāsar̥ṣṭikāḥ sarve sarve śataśarāsanāḥ |

Translation

รถศึกทั้งปวงเทียมม้าสี่ตัว และม้าทุกตัวล้วนเป็นพันธุ์เลิศ ทุกคันมีทั้งหอกและหลาว พร้อมทั้งสะสมคันธนูไว้คันละร้อยคัน

Word by Word

चतुर्युगाःhaving four yokes (i.e., four-horsed)

रथाःchariots

सर्वेall

चand

उत्तमवाजिनःhaving excellent horses / of excellent steeds

सप्रासऋष्टिकाःwith spears and javelins

सर्वेall

शतशरासनाःhaving a hundred bows

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

ratha (chariots)

vājina (horses)

prāsa (spear)

r̥ṣṭi (javelin/lance)

śarāsana (bow)

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?

The verse highlights disciplined readiness and the weight of responsibility before war: resources, training, and organization are marshaled fully, implying that entering conflict is a deliberate, consequential act rather than an impulsive one.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the army’s equipment: chariots drawn by four fine horses, each chariot armed with spears and javelins and stocked with abundant bows, emphasizing the scale and seriousness of the impending battle preparations.