Mahabharata 3.120.5 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 120, Shloka 5

Sātyaki’s Call for Intervention and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Vow-Bound Restraint (सात्यकिवाक्यं—धर्मराजस्य धैर्यनिश्चयः)

Devanagari script

निर्यातु साध्वद्य दशार्हसेना प्रभूतनानायुधचित्रवर्मा | यमक्षयं गच्छतु धार्त॑राष्ट्र: सबान्धवो वृष्णिबलाभिभूत:

Transliteration

niryātu sādhv adya daśārhaseṇā prabhūtanānāyudhacitravarmā | yamakṣayaṁ gacchatu dhārtarāṣṭraḥ sabāndhavo vṛṣṇibalābhibhūtaḥ ||

Translation

พระพลรามตรัสว่า “ให้กองทัพทศารหะ (วงศ์วฤษณิ) ออกเดินทัพในวันนี้เถิด—พร้อมสรรพด้วยศัสตราวุธนานาประการอันอุดม และสวมเกราะอันวิจิตรหลากสี. ให้โอรสแห่งธฤตราษฏระ ถูกเดชกองทัพวฤษณิกดข่ม แล้วไปสู่แดนพระยมพร้อมหมู่ญาติของตน.”

Word by Word

• निर्यातु: let (it) go forth / set out
• निर्यातु: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√या
• Form: Lot (imperative/benedictive sense), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• साधु: well; indeed; good (as an approval)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• दशार्हसेना: the army of the Dāśārhas (Vr̥ṣṇis)
• दशार्हसेना: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशार्ह-सेना
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• प्रभूत: abundant; plentiful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रभूत
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• नानायुध: various weapons
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना-आयुध
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• चित्रवर्मा: having variegated/ornate armor
• चित्रवर्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र-वर्मन्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• यमक्षयम्: the abode of Yama (death’s realm)
• यमक्षयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम-क्षय
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• गच्छतु: let (him) go
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम्
• Form: Lot (imperative), 3, singular, Parasmaipada

• धार्तराष्ट्रः: the son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana)
• धार्तराष्ट्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्तराष्ट्र
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• स: he
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• बान्धवः: with kinsmen/relatives (as companion notion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• वृष्णिबलाभिभूतः: overpowered/defeated by the Vr̥ṣṇi force
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृष्णि-बल-अभि√भू (अभिभूत)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular, क्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

बलदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Baladeva (Balarāma)
• Daśārha (Vṛṣṇi/Yādava army)
• Dhārtarāṣṭra (Duryodhana, son of Dhṛtarāṣṭra)
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Vṛṣṇis
• Yama (realm/abode of Yama)
• weapons (āyudha)
• armor (varman)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse expresses a kṣatriya-style ethic of decisive action: when adharma becomes entrenched, delaying confrontation only strengthens it. The speaker portrays the defeat of the Dhārtarāṣṭra as morally and practically inevitable when faced with the united strength of a righteous force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Baladeva urges immediate military mobilization of the Daśārha/Vṛṣṇi forces, describing them as fully armed and armored, and declares that Duryodhana (the Dhārtarāṣṭra) should be sent to Yama’s realm along with his supporters—i.e., he calls for a swift, overwhelming campaign against the Kaurava leader.