SanskritIASTMeaning
अनवद्याः हि असंबुद्धाःanavadyāḥ hi asaṃbuddhāḥblameless, unrecognized,
प्रविष्टाः शत्रु-सद्म तत्praviṣṭāḥ śatru-sadma tathaving entered that house of the enemy,
शत्रु-देहम् उपाक्रम्यśatru-deham upākramyahaving approached the enemy's very body,
तम् कामम् प्राप्नुयामहेtam kāmam prāpnuyāmahewe shall attain that goal;
एकः हि एव श्रियम् नित्यम्ekaḥ hi eva śriyam nityamfor one alone ever bears the fortune [might],
बिभर्ति पुरुष-ऋषभbibharti puruṣa-ṛṣabhaO bull among men,
अन्तर्-आत्मा इव भूतानाम्antar-ātmā iva bhūtānāmlike the inner soul of beings;
तत्-क्षये वै बल-क्षयःtat-kṣaye vai bala-kṣayaḥat his destruction — the destruction of [all] the force;
अथ चेत् तम् निहत्य आजौatha cet tam nihatya ājaubut if, having slain him in battle,
शेषेण अभिसमागताःśeṣeṇa abhisamāgatāḥjoining with the remaining [survivors],
प्राप्नुयाम ततः स्वर्गम्prāpnuyāma tataḥ svargamwe shall then attain heaven,
ज्ञाति-त्राण-परायणाःjñāti-trāṇa-parāyaṇāḥdevoted to the protection of kinsmen;
अनवद्याanavadyāoriginal form “anavadyā”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ह्य्hyoriginal form “hy”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शत्रुसद्मśatrusadmaoriginal form “śatrusadma”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शत्रुदेहम्śatrudehamoriginal form “śatrudeham”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तंtaṃoriginal form “taṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कामंkāmaṃoriginal form “kāmaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एकोekooriginal form “eko”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ह्य्hyoriginal form “hy”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रियंśriyaṃoriginal form “śriyaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नित्यंnityaṃoriginal form “nityaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पुरुषर्षभpuruṣarṣabhaoriginal form “puruṣarṣabha”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अन्तरात्मेवantarātmevaoriginal form “antarātmeva”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भूतानांbhūtānāṃoriginal form “bhūtānāṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तत्क्षयेtatkṣayeoriginal form “tatkṣaye”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बलक्षयःbalakṣayaḥoriginal form “balakṣayaḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तंtaṃoriginal form “taṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
निहत्याजौnihatyājauoriginal form “nihatyājau”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शेषेणाभिसमागताःśeṣeṇābhisamāgatāḥoriginal form “śeṣeṇābhisamāgatāḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्वर्गंsvargaṃoriginal form “svargaṃ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ज्ञातित्राणपरायणाःjñātitrāṇaparāyaṇāḥoriginal form “jñātitrāṇaparāyaṇāḥ”, added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Here Krishna likens the leader to the ‘inner soul’ of the army: as the body perishes when the soul departs, so the host collapses when the one on whom its strength rests falls. This comparison is telling: it points to a higher truth — that all things rest upon the Soul of all souls. Thus the scripture shows the image of a single seat of strength; and here the goal is named as the protection of kinsmen and heaven, not personal gain. So the plan is disclosed; and Yudhishthira asks about the enemy himself.