Shloka 14

महाव्यूहप्रवर्तनम् / Deployment of the Great Battle Arrays

Devanagari script

प्रहर्षयुक्तानि तु तानि राजन्‌ महान्ति नानाविधशस्त्रवन्ति । स्थितानि नागाश्चूपदातिमन्ति विरेजुराजी तव राजन्‌ बलानि,महाराज! आपकी वे विशाल सेनाएँ नाना प्रकारके अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंसे सम्पन्न हो अत्यन्त हर्ष एवं उत्साहमें भरी हुई थीं। राजन! घोड़े, हाथी और पैदलोंसे युक्त हो रणभूमिमें खड़ी हुई उन सेनाओंकी बड़ी शोभा होती थी

Transliteration

praharṣayuktāni tu tāni rājan mahānti nānāvidhaśastravantī | sthitāni nāgāś copadātimanti virejur ājau tava rājan balāni ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：大王啊，你那浩大的军阵——备具百般兵刃——列阵而立，充满欢腾与战意。象军与辅兵依次布列，你的兵力在战场上熠熠生辉；那井然的整备，映照出大战将临前令人沉醉的自信。

Word by Word

प्रहर्षयुक्तानिendowed with exhilaration/joy

तुbut/indeed

तानिthose

राजन्O king

महान्तिgreat/huge

नानाविधशस्त्रवन्तिpossessing weapons of many kinds

स्थितानिstanding/arrayed

नागाःelephants

चand

उपदातिमन्तिhaving foot-soldiers/attendants (upadāti)

विरेजुःshone/splendidly appeared

अजीin battle/on the battlefield

तवyour

राजन्O king

बलानिarmies/forces

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as rājan)

Kaurava forces (tava balāni)

War-elephants (nāgāḥ)

Weapons (śastrāṇi)

Battlefield (āja)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how collective exhilaration and splendid military display can mask the moral gravity of impending slaughter. It implicitly invites reflection on the ethical tension between martial pride and the destructive consequences of war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that the king’s armies are arrayed on the battlefield—large, well-armed, and accompanied by elephants and supporting troops—radiant with enthusiasm as the battle is about to intensify.