Mahabharata · 4.47.18-19
॥
Devanāgarī
आचार्यो मध्यतस् तिष्ठत्व् अश्वत्थामा तु सव्यतः ॥
कृपः शारद्वतो धीमान् पार्श्वं रक्षतु दक्षिणम् ॥
अग्रतः सूतपुत्रस् तु कर्णस् तिष्ठतु दंशितः ॥
अहं सर्वस्य सैन्यस्य पश्चात् स्थास्यामि पालयन् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ācāryo madhyatas tiṣṭhatv aśvatthāmā tu savyataḥ ||
kṛpaḥ śāradvato dhīmān pārśvaṃ rakṣatu dakṣiṇam ||
agrataḥ sūtaputras tu karṇas tiṣṭhatu daṃśitaḥ ||
ahaṃ sarvasya sainyasya paścāt sthāsyāmi pālayan ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
आचार्योācāryoteacher
मध्यतस्madhyatasform madhyatas
तिष्ठत्व्tiṣṭhatvform tiṣṭhatv
अश्वत्थामाaśvatthāmāhorse
तुtubut, indeed
सव्यतःsavyataḥform savyataḥ
कृपःkṛpaḥKripa
शारद्वतोśāradvatoform śāradvato
धीमान्dhīmānform dhīmān
पार्श्वंpārśvaṃform pārśvaṃ
रक्षतुrakṣatuform rakṣatu
दक्षिणम्dakṣiṇamform dakṣiṇam
अग्रतःagrataḥform agrataḥ
सूतपुत्रस्sūtaputrasson
तुtubut, indeed
कर्णस्karṇasKarna
तिष्ठतुtiṣṭhatuform tiṣṭhatu
दंशितःdaṃśitaḥform daṃśitaḥ
अहंahaṃI
सर्वस्यsarvasyaform sarvasya
सैन्यस्यsainyasyaform sainyasya
पश्चात्paścātto see
स्थास्यामिsthāsyāmiform sthāsyāmi
पालयन्pālayanform pālayan
Translation
'Let the teacher stand in the center, and Ashvatthaman on the left. Let the wise Sharadvata Kripa guard the right flank. Let the son of the suta, Karna, clad in armor, stand at the front. And I myself will stand behind the whole army, guarding it.'
Version
2523f8501e69 · published Jul 16, 2026, 6:27:29 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Bhishma's battle formation reveals his nature: even in an unrighteous campaign, he thinks like a guardian, covering the army with his own body from the rear.