Shloka 9

जनकस्य युद्धोपदेशः — Janaka’s Instruction on Steadfast Battle-Conduct

Devanagari script

गजानां रथिनो मध्ये रथानामनु सादिन: । सादिनामन्तरे स्थाप्यं पादातमपि दंशितम्‌,गजारोहियोंके बीचमें रथियोंको खड़ा करे। रथियोंके पीछे घुड़सवारोंकी सेना रखे और उनके बीचमें कवच एवं अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंसे सुसज्जित पैदलोंकी सेना खड़ी करे

Transliteration

gajānāṁ rathino madhye rathānām anu sādinaḥ | sādinām antare sthāpyaṁ pādātam api daṁśitam ||

Translation

ہاتھیوں کے دستوں کے درمیان رتھ کے جنگجو کھڑے کرو۔ رتھوں کے پیچھے سواروں کو صف آرا کرو، اور سواروں کے بیچ بیچ میں زرہ پوش اور اسلحہ سے آراستہ پیادوں کو بھی مقرر کرو۔

Word by Word

गजानाम्of elephants

रथिनःchariot-warriors

मध्येin the middle

रथानाम्of chariots

अनुafter/behind

सादिनःhorsemen (mounted troops)

सादिनाम्of the horsemen

अन्तरेin between

स्थाप्यम्is to be placed/should be stationed

पादातम्foot-soldier/infantryman

अपिalso/even

दंशितम्armoured/equipped (lit. ‘furnished with armour’)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

elephants (gaja)

chariots/chariot-warriors (ratha/rathin)

cavalry/horsemen (sādin)

infantry/foot-soldiers (pādāta)

armour and weapons (implied by daṁśita)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches practical rāja-nīti: an army should be arranged so that each arm supports the others—elephants, chariots, cavalry, and infantry placed in coordinated layers and gaps—creating protection, stability, and tactical flexibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing on governance and warfare. Here he gives a specific directive on battlefield deployment: position chariot-warriors among elephants, keep cavalry behind the chariots, and fill the spaces between horsemen with well-armed infantry.