पूर्वप्रहारस्मयतश्चिरं संशान्तदुन्दुभि । निबद्धयोधसंस्थाननिखिलानीकमन्थरम् ॥ ९ ॥
pūrvaprahārasmayataściraṁ saṁśāntadundubhi | nibaddhayōdhasaṁsthānanikhilānīkamantharam || 9 ||
Translation
its drums long silent for fear of striking the first blow; heavy and still, all its divisions in their ranks of warriors;
Word by word
- pūrva
- the first
- prahāra
- blow
- smayataś
- (smayataḥ) for fear of striking
- ciraṁ
- long
- saṁśānta
- silent
- dundubhi
- its drums
- nibaddha
- in their ranks
- yōdha
- of warriors
- saṁsthāna
- drawn up
- nikhila
- all
- anīka
- its divisions
- mantharam
- heavy and still
Meaning
No one may strike first without the king's command, and the drums that would signal the attack are silent. The first commentary: lest the first blow be struck without the king's order, the war-drums of both armies were long silent. Every division stands in its ranks, heavy (manthara) with waiting.