Shloka 17

Bhīmasena–Drauṇi Mahāyuddha

Chariot Duel and Astra-Exchange

Devanagari script

वामपादे तु राजेन्द्र कृतवर्मा व्यवस्थित: । नारायणबलैयक्तो गोपालैरयुद्धदुर्मदै:,राजेन्द्र! उस मकरव्यूहके बायें पैरकी जगह नारायणी-सेनाके रणदुर्मद गोपालोंके साथ कृतवर्मा खड़ा किया गया था

Transliteration

vāmapāde tu rājendra kṛtavarmā vyavasthitaḥ | nārāyaṇabalaiyukto gopālair ayuddhadurmadāḥ ||

Translation

三阇耶说道：“大王啊，在那阵形的‘左足’之位，安置了克利多跋摩；他有那罗延军相助——那些牧牛出身的战士，因战斗的傲气而沉醉。”此等布置显出统帅们筹划之精密：以一支凶猛而忠诚的部众守护关键侧翼，在这充满伦理重负的战争暴烈展开之时。

Word by Word

वामपादेin the left foot/wing (of the formation)

तुbut/indeed

राजेन्द्रO king of kings

कृतवर्माKritavarman

व्यवस्थितःstationed/placed

नारायणबलैःwith the Narayana forces

युक्तःjoined/associated

गोपालैःwith the cowherds (Gopalas)

अयुद्धदुर्मदैःwith those mad for battle (battle-intoxicated)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kṛtavarmā

Nārāyaṇa-bala (Nārāyaṇī-senā)

Gopālas (cowherd-warriors)

battle formation (vyūha; implied by ‘pāda’)

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 disciplined deployment of power in war and hints at the ethical tension of martial pride: even formidable, devoted troops can become ‘durmada’—overconfident—showing how strategy and inner disposition together shape the moral texture of battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to the king that Kṛtavarmā has been placed on the left flank (the ‘left foot’) of the battle-array, accompanied by the Nārāyaṇa force—cowherd-warriors renowned for their battle-fervor—indicating a deliberate guarding of a key side of the formation.