Shloka 96

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 130: Kuntī’s Instruction on Rājadharma and Daṇḍanīti

Devanagari script

अग्रे बभूवु: कृष्णस्य समुद्यतमहायुधा: । भीमसेन

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

agre babhūvuḥ kṛṣṇasya samudyata-mahāyudhāḥ |

bhīmasenaḥ yudhiṣṭhiraś ca tathā mādrīnandana-nakula-sahadevau bhagavataḥ pṛṣṭhabhāge sthitāḥ |

pradyumnādayo vṛṣṇivaṃśyā andhakavaṃśyāś ca yoddhā hastayoḥ viśālāyudhāni dhārayantaḥ bhagavataḥ agrabhāge prādurabhavan |

Translation

毗湿摩耶那说道：在奎师那前方，诸勇士高举巨大的兵器而立；在主的后方，则是毗摩塞那、由提施提罗，以及摩德丽之子——那俱罗与娑诃提婆。主的先锋阵列中，普拉丢摩那与弗利什尼、安陀迦两族的英雄们显现出来，手执沉重的大兵器。此一阵势彰显合乎达摩的护卫秩序：正义的领袖受人护持，而最善战者在奎师那引领下居于前锋。

Word by Word

• अग्रे: in front, ahead
• अग्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्र
• Form: locative-adverb

• बभूवुः: became / were
• बभूवुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, plural, Parasmaipada

• कृष्णस्य: of Kṛṣṇa
• कृष्णस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• समुद्यत: raised, uplifted
• समुद्यत: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उद्-यत
• Form: past passive participle (kta), masculine, nominative, plural

• महा: great, huge
• महा: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: neuter, accusative, plural, as first member in compound; indeclinable-like form

• आयुधाः: weapons / armed warriors
• आयुधाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुध
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kṛṣṇa
• Bhīmasena
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Nakula
• Sahadeva
• Mādrī
• Pradyumna
• Vṛṣṇi lineage
• Andhaka lineage
• mahāyudha (great weapons)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic order in conflict: righteous leadership is safeguarded, and capable protectors take the front under Kṛṣṇa’s direction, suggesting that power should be organized to defend justice rather than to display aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a martial arrangement around Kṛṣṇa: armed Vṛṣṇi-Andhaka heroes (including Pradyumna) stand in front as the vanguard, while key Pāṇḍava figures—Bhīma, Yudhiṣṭhira, and the twins Nakula-Sahadeva—remain positioned behind him.