Shloka 31

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

Devanagari script

पृथगक्षौहिणीनां च हा १० [ नरसत्तमान्‌ | विधिवत पूर्वमानीय भ्यषेचयत्‌

Transliteration

pṛthag akṣauhiṇīnāṃ ca ha narasattamān | vidhivat pūrvam ānīya abhyasecayat ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: Matapos munang ipaharap ang mga pinakadakila sa mga lalaki, isinagawa niya nang ayon sa ritwal ang kanilang pag-aabhiseka, at inayos din ang mga hukbo nang magkakahiwalay ayon sa bawat akṣauhiṇī.

Word by Word

पृथक्separately

अक्षौहिणीनाम्of the armies (akṣauhiṇīs)

चand

नरसत्तमान्the best of men

विधिवत्according to rule/ritually

पूर्वम्first/beforehand

आनीयhaving brought

अभ्यषेचयत्anointed (performed consecration)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

akṣauhiṇī (army division)

narasattamāḥ (foremost men/warriors)

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?

Even in a war-bound context, authority and leadership are framed through dharmic procedure—proper rites (abhiṣeka) and orderly organization (separate akṣauhiṇīs) emphasize legitimacy, restraint, and disciplined governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator reports that the leading men were first brought forward and duly consecrated/installed, while the forces were arranged separately as distinct akṣauhiṇī divisions—signaling formal preparation and structured mobilization.