Shloka 3

भीष्म-द्रोणादिभिः पाण्डवसेनाक्षयकाल-निर्णयः | Time-estimates for the depletion of the Pāṇḍava forces

Bhīṣma–Droṇa council

Devanagari script

सर्वे ब्रह्म॒विद: शूरा: सर्वे सुचरितव्रता: । सर्वे वर्मभृतश्वैव सर्वे चाहवलक्षणा:,वे सभी वेदवेत्ता, शूरवीर तथा उत्तम विधिसे व्रतका पालन करनेवाले थे। सभी कवचधारी तथा युद्धके चिह्नोंसे सुशोभित थे

Transliteration

sarve brahmavidaḥ śūrāḥ sarve sucaritavratāḥ | sarve varmabhṛtaś caiva sarve cāhavalakṣaṇāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Tất cả họ đều là người thông hiểu minh triết thánh điển, đều là dũng sĩ, và đều kiên trì giữ gìn giới nguyện cùng nề nếp. Ai nấy khoác giáp trụ, mang phong thái và dấu ấn của những chiến binh từng trải.

Word by Word

सर्वेall

ब्रह्मविदःknowers of Brahman / Veda-knowers

शूराःheroes, valiant

सर्वेall

सुचरितव्रताःof well-observed vows / of good conduct and vows

सर्वेall

वर्मभृतःwearers of armor

चand

एवindeed, just

सर्वेall

चand

आहवलक्षणाःmarked by battle-signs / bearing marks of combat

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

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?

The verse presents an ideal of integrated excellence: spiritual learning (brahmavidyā), ethical discipline (well-kept vows), and martial readiness (armor and battle-bearing). It implies that true leadership in a dharmic society unites knowledge, self-restraint, and courage rather than treating them as separate virtues.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes a group of men (warriors/attendants in the Udyoga Parva context) as uniformly distinguished—learned, brave, observant of vows, armored, and visibly prepared for combat—setting the tone of impending conflict while emphasizing their cultivated character.