Shloka 19

Adhyāya 78 — Bhīṣma’s Advance, Duryodhana’s Rally, and Concurrent Duels (भीष्मस्याभ्युद्यमः, दुर्योधनस्योत्साहवचनम्, विविधयुद्धवर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

प्राग्ज्योतिषस्तु सहितो मद्रसौवीरकेकयै: । उरस्यभून्नरश्रेष्ठ महत्या सेनयावृत:

Transliteration

prāgjyotiṣas tu sahito madra-sauvīra-kekayaiḥ | urasy abhūn naraśreṣṭha mahatyā senayāvṛtaḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：人中之杰啊，普罗伽焦提沙之王婆伽达多，与摩陀罗、娑毗罗、计迦耶诸勇士同在，又为大军环绕，立于该阵之“胸”部——亦即冲突最惨烈之处的前列——体现其一方在战争中的冷峻决意与共同责任。

Word by Word

• {'prāgjyotiṣaḥ': 'the king of Prāgjyotiṣa (Bhagadatta)

• also ‘of Prāgjyotiṣa’', 'tu': 'but

• and (emphatic connective)', 'sahitaḥ': 'accompanied

• joined together with', 'madra': 'the Madra people/warriors (region/kingdom)', 'sauvīra': 'the Sauvīra people/warriors (region/kingdom)', 'kekaya': 'the Kekaya people/warriors (region/kingdom)', 'madra-sauvīra-kekayaiḥ': 'with the Madras, Sauvīras, and Kekayas (instrumental plural)', 'urasi': 'on the chest

• at the breast/front (of the formation)', 'abhūt': 'became

• took position', 'naraśreṣṭha': 'O best of men (address to Dhṛtarāṣṭra)', 'mahatyā': 'by/with a great, vast (instrumental singular)', 'senayā': 'army

• host (instrumental singular)', 'āvṛtaḥ': 'surrounded

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Bhagadatta
• Prāgjyotiṣa
• Madra
• Sauvīra
• Kekaya
• vyūha (battle-formation)
• senā (army)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya ideal of taking responsibility at the most dangerous point of battle: leaders and allied forces stand together in the front line, showing resolve, solidarity, and acceptance of duty amid the moral gravity of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra the placement of Bhagadatta, king of Prāgjyotiṣa, within the battle-array: with Madra, Sauvīra, and Kekaya troops and a large army around him, he occupies the ‘breast’ (front/central striking zone) of the formation.