Shloka 32

Chapter 19: Prativyūha of the Pāṇḍavas — Vajra (Acala) Formation and Dawn Omens

Devanagari script

क्षरन्त इव जीमूता महार्हा: पद्मगन्धिन: । राजानमन्वयु: पश्चाज्जीमूता इव वार्षिका:

Transliteration

kṣaranta iva jīmūtā mahārhāḥ padmagandhinaḥ | rājānam anvayuḥ paścāj jīmūtā iva vārṣikāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: Như mây mang mưa trút nước, những voi quý giá, thơm như hương sen, theo sau vua Yudhiṣṭhira—tựa mây mùa mưa đúng tiết. Hình ảnh ấy nêu bật uy nghi vương giả và thế sẵn sàng chinh chiến: của cải và quyền lực vận hành trong kỷ luật phía sau vị minh quân giữ dharma, còn hơi thở chiến tranh đã phảng phất trong chính “mùa mưa” của musth và sức mạnh.

Word by Word

• क्षरन्तः: shedding, dripping
• क्षरन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षर्
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• जीमूताः: clouds
• जीमूताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीमूत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महार्हाः: very valuable, precious
• महार्हाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महार्ह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पद्मगन्धिनः: lotus-fragrant
• पद्मगन्धिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पद्मगन्धिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अन्वयुः: followed
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-या
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), perfect (narrative past), Third, Plural

• पश्चात्: behind, afterwards
• पश्चात्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात्

• जीमूताः: clouds
• जीमूताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीमूत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• वार्षिकाः: rainy-season (ones)
• वार्षिकाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वार्षिक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• King Yudhiṣṭhira
• elephants (gajarāja)
• monsoon clouds (jīmūta/vārṣika)
• lotus (padma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic kingship expressed through ordered strength: power and wealth (symbolized by precious, fragrant war-elephants) are meaningful when aligned behind a righteous ruler, suggesting that might should serve dharma rather than ego.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes the procession behind Yudhiṣṭhira: valuable elephants, compared to monsoon clouds, follow him. The simile evokes both grandeur and the imminence of battle, as the elephants’ musth and mass resemble clouds heavy with rain.