Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

तेजांसि रिपुसैन्यानां मृदूनन्‌ पुरुषसत्तम: | अग्रेडग्रणीर्योत्स्यति नो युद्धोपायविचक्षण:

Transliteration

tejāṁsi ripusainyānāṁ mṛdūnan puruṣasattamaḥ | agre ’graṇīr yotsyati no yuddhopāyavicakṣaṇaḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya nói: “Bậc trượng phu ấy, tinh thông mưu lược chiến trận, sẽ giao chiến ở đầu quân ta như vị tiên phong dẫn dắt, nghiền nát niềm kiêu hãnh và hào quang của đạo quân địch.”

Word by Word

• tejāṃsi: splendours/energies (prowess)
• tejāṃsi: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: tejas
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• ripu-sainyānām: of the enemy armies
• ripu-sainyānām: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ripu-sainya
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• mṛdūnan: crushing/softening (subduing)
• mṛdūnan: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: mṛd
• Form: śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• puruṣa-sattamaḥ: the best of men
• puruṣa-sattamaḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa-sattama
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• agre: in front/at the fore
• agre: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agra
• Form: true

• agraṇīḥ: leader/guide
• agraṇīḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: agraṇi
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• yotsyati: will fight
• yotsyati: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: yudh
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• naḥ: of us/our
• naḥ: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: asmad
• Form: 1st, Genitive, Plural

• yuddha-upāya-vicakṣaṇaḥ: skilled in the means/strategies of war
• yuddha-upāya-vicakṣaṇaḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuddha-upāya-vicakṣaṇa
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• enemy armies (ripu-sainyāni)
• the foremost warrior/leader (puruṣasattama/agraṇīḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya leadership in war: a capable commander should stand at the front and, through skill (upāya) and discernment (vicakṣaṇa), neutralize the enemy’s effective power (tejas) rather than relying on mere force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya, reporting battlefield dispositions, describes a foremost warrior on their side who will lead from the front and fight in a way that breaks the enemy host’s strength and morale, emphasizing tactical competence and command.