Shloka 23

Abhimanyunidhana-prakāśaḥ — Vasudeva–Kṛṣṇa–Subhadrā–Kuntī śoka-saṃvāda

Disclosure and Consolation

Devanagari script

हतवाहनभूयिष्ठा: पाण्डवा5पि युधिष्ठटिरम्‌ । अक्षौहिण्या निरुत्साहा: शिष्टया पर्यवारयन्‌

Transliteration

hatavāhanabhūyiṣṭhāḥ pāṇḍavā api yudhiṣṭhiram | akṣauhiṇyā nirutsāhāḥ śiṣṭayā paryavārayan ||

Translation

婆苏提婆说道：般度五子一方也损失了大半坐骑与战车。虽战意已衰，他们仍以余下的一支“阿叉乌希尼”列阵环护，推举坚战（由提施提罗）在前，进逼舍利耶以相抗。

Word by Word

• हतवाहनभूयिष्ठाः: having most of their vehicles destroyed
• हतवाहनभूयिष्ठाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत-वाहन-भूयिष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पाण्डवाः: the Pandavas
• पाण्डवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• युधिष्ठिरम्: Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अक्षौहिण्या: by/with an akshauhini (army-division)
• अक्षौहिण्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्षौहिणी
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• निरुत्साहाः: without enthusiasm
• निरुत्साहाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरुत्साह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शिष्टया: with the remaining (force)
• शिष्टया: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिष्ट
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• पर्यवारयन्: they surrounded/encircled
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + √वृ (वृणोति/वृणुते) / causative sense in context
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Plural

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa)
• Pāṇḍavas
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Śalya
• akṣauhiṇī (army division)
• vāhana (mounts/vehicles)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when resources are depleted and morale is low, dharmic responsibility is maintained through disciplined action and proper leadership—here symbolized by advancing with Yudhiṣṭhira at the forefront and the remaining forces arranged in protective order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) describes the Pāṇḍavas: after heavy losses of mounts and vehicles and a decline in battle-enthusiasm, they still move forward to confront Śalya, placing Yudhiṣṭhira in front while the surviving akṣauhiṇī forms a surrounding formation.