Shloka 19

शबलाहरणम्

The Attempted Seizure of Sabalā (Kāmadhenu) and the Triumph of Brahmic Power

Devanagari script

बलं भग्नं ततो दृष्ट्वा रथेनाक्रम्य कौशिक:।स राजा परमक्रुद्धो रोषविस्फारितेक्षण:।पप्लवान्नाशयामास शस्त्रैरुच्चावचैरपि।।।।

Transliteration

balaṃ bhagnaṃ tato dṛṣṭvā rathena ākramya kauśikaḥ | sa rājā paramakruddho roṣa-visphāritekṣaṇaḥ | paplavān nāśayāmāsa śastrair uccāvacair api ||

Translation

নিজ বাহিনী ভাঙি পৰাৰ দৃশ্য দেখি কৌশিক (বিশ্বামিত্ৰ) ৰথত উঠি আক্ৰমণ কৰিলে। পৰম ক্ৰুদ্ধ হৈ, ৰোষত বিস্ফাৰিত নয়নেৰে সেই ৰজাই নানাবিধ শস্ত্ৰে পপ্লৱসকলকো ধ্বংস কৰিলে।

Word by Word

• बलम्: army
• बलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भग्नम्: broken / destroyed
• भग्नम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भञ्ज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (ablatival adverb: ‘thereupon/then’)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• रथेन: with a chariot
• रथेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आक्रम्य: having attacked
• आक्रम्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+क्रम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund) ‘having attacked/advanced upon’

• कौशिकः: Kauśika (Viśvāmitra)
• कौशिकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौशिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• परमक्रुद्धः: extremely enraged
• परमक्रुद्धः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम-क्रुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक; क्रुध् धातु-निष्पन्न कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—परमः क्रुद्धः

• रोषविस्फारितेक्षणः: with eyes widened by anger
• रोषविस्फारितेक्षणः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रोष-विस्फारित-ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः—रोषेण विस्फारिते ईक्षणे यस्य (bahuvrīhi-like semantics but form as tatpuruṣa chain)

• पप्लवान्: the Paplavas
• पप्लवान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पप्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• नाशयामास: destroyed
• नाशयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नाशय् (णिजन्त; नश् धातु causative)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त

• शस्त्रैः: with weapons
• शस्त्रैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• उच्चावचैः: of various kinds
• उच्चावचैः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्च-अवच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः—उच्चैः च अवचैः च (various/high and low = diverse)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (particle: ‘also/even’)

Context

Thereafter the king (Viswamitra), having seen his army thus routed, flew into a fury.Wide-eyed with anger, he sat in his chariot and destoyed the Paplavas with various kinds of weapons.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra (Kauśika)
• Chariot (ratha)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Unchecked anger (krodha) drives escalation and blinds judgment; dharma warns that rage-based action deepens conflict rather than restoring order.

What is the narrative situation?

After his army is destroyed, Viśvāmitra personally retaliates from his chariot and kills the manifested Paplavas with varied weapons.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

A negative exemplar: the loss of self-control—anger overpowering discernment.