Shloka 15

उपायधर्म-सेनायोगः

Upāya-dharma and Senāyoga: Expedient Ethics & Army Deployment

Devanagari script

अग्रतः पुरुषानीकं शक्तं चापि कुलोद्धवम्‌ | आवासस्तोयवान्‌ दुर्ग: पर्याकाश: प्रशस्यते

Transliteration

agratāḥ puruṣānīkaṃ śaktaṃ cāpi kulodbhavam | āvāsa-stoya-vān durgaḥ paryākāśaḥ praśasyate ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：应将强健而出身高贵的一队步兵置于最前锋。又为防御敌军，军营或堡垒若难以逼近，周围环以注满水的壕沟与高垣，并且四面开阔无碍，便最为称许——如此方能使守备与警戒不受遮蔽而常存。

Word by Word

• अग्रतः: in front, at the front
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र
• Form: Avyaya (adverb)

• पुरुष-अनीकम्: infantry (troop of men)
• पुरुष-अनीकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनीक
• Form: Neuter, accusative, singular

• शक्तम्: strong, capable
• शक्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त
• Form: Neuter, accusative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Avyaya (conjunction)

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि
• Form: Avyaya (particle)

• कुल-उद्भवम्: of noble birth
• कुल-उद्भवम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्भव
• Form: Neuter, accusative, singular

• आवासः: dwelling-place, camp, residence
• आवासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवास
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• तोय-वान्: having water (water-filled)
• तोय-वान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तोयवत्
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• दुर्गः: fort, stronghold
• दुर्गः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्ग
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• परि-आकाशः: open space around; surrounding open sky
• परि-आकाशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• प्रशस्यते: is praised, is commended
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस्
• Form: Present tense (Lat), 3rd person, singular, Atmanepada (passive sense: 'is praised/commended')

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• infantry (puruṣānīka)
• fortress/stronghold (durga)
• moat (implied by stoya-vān surroundings)
• rampart/outer wall (implied by defensive description)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Effective protection of the realm requires disciplined military arrangement (placing strong, reliable infantry in the vanguard) and sound fortification principles: a fortress that is difficult to approach, protected by water defenses and strong walls, with clear open surroundings for visibility and control.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma is advising the king on practical measures of security—how to deploy troops and what features make a camp or fortress defensible against enemy attack.