Shloka 38

Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance

Devanagari script

तथैव पाण्डवा राजन्‌ परिवार्य धनंजयम्‌ | रणाय महते युक्ता दंशिता भरतर्षभ,राजन! भरतश्रेष्ठ! उसी प्रकार पाण्डव अर्जुनको सब ओरसे घेरकर कवच आदिसे सुसज्जित हो महायुद्धके लिये तैयार हो गये

Transliteration

tathaiva pāṇḍavā rājan parivārya dhanañjayam | raṇāya mahate yuktā daṃśitā bharatarṣabha ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Tâu Đại vương, hỡi bậc tráng sĩ của dòng Bharata, cũng như thế, các Pāṇḍava đã vây quanh Dhanañjaya (Arjuna) từ mọi phía. Mặc giáp, trang bị đầy đủ, họ đứng sẵn sàng cho đại chiến.

Word by Word

तथाthus, in that manner

एवindeed, just

पाण्डवाःthe Pandavas

राजन्O king

परिवार्यhaving surrounded

धनंजयम्Dhananjaya (Arjuna)

रणायfor battle

महतेfor the great (battle)

युक्ताःprepared, equipped

दंशिताःarmoured, clad (in mail/armour)

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas (best of Bharatas)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Pāṇḍavas

Arjuna (Dhanañjaya)

armor (kavaca implied by context)

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?

The verse highlights collective responsibility in dharma-yuddha: warriors do not act as isolated heroes but as a disciplined unit, protecting their foremost fighter and preparing with proper equipment and resolve for a righteous, ordered engagement.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the Pāṇḍavas, mirroring an earlier formation, close ranks around Arjuna. Fully armored and armed, they take positions and ready themselves for the impending major clash.