Previous Verse

Shloka 483

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

आगतं मे मित्रबलं प्रहरध्वमभीतवत्‌ | अपनी सेना उत्कृष्ट अवस्थामें हो या निकृष्ट अवस्थामें

āgataṃ me mitrabalaṃ praharadhvam abhītavat |

Wika ni Bhīṣma: “Dumating na ang aking kakamping hukbo. Sumalakay kayo na parang walang takot.” Sa kalapit na aral, ang diin ay nasa pagpapatatag ng loob sa digmaan: maging ang sariling hukbo ay nasa mabuting kalagayan o nasa alanganin, at maging totoo o huwad ang balita, maaaring itaas ang mga kamay at sumigaw upang pag-isahin ang loob ng mga kawal—“Tingnan! Tumitakas ang kaaway! Dumating na ang ating mga kakampi! Ngayon, sumugod nang walang pangamba!” Ang tensiyong etikal ay nasa paggamit ng pagpapahayag—kahit panlilinlang—bilang kasangkapan upang patibayin ang sariling panig at wasakin ang loob ng kalaban sa digmaan.

आगतम्has come/arrived
आगतम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootआ-गम् (धातु) → आगत (कृदन्त)
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
मेmy/of me
मे:
Sampradana
TypePronoun
Rootअस्मद्
Form—, Genitive, Singular
मित्रबलम्the allied/friendly force
मित्रबलम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमित्र + बल
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
प्रहरध्वम्strike! attack!
प्रहरध्वम्:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-हृ (धातु) (परस्मैपद) → प्रहरति
FormImperative (लोट्), Second, Plural, Parasmaipada
अभीतवत्fearlessly, like one unafraid
अभीतवत्:
Karana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअभीत + वत्
Formtrue

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
M
mitrabala (allied army)
Ś
śatru (enemy, implied by the accompanying sense)

Educational Q&A

The verse urges fearless action supported by confidence in allies; in context it highlights how leadership and speech can shape morale, even raising ethical questions about using true or false proclamations as wartime strategy.

Bhīṣma instructs that when allied support arrives—or is announced as arriving—soldiers should be rallied to attack boldly, with shouted claims that the enemy is fleeing and that friendly forces have come.