Shloka 16

Ulūpī–Citravāhinī Saṃvāda: Dhanaṃjaya-patana and Prāya-threat

Devanagari script

परमार्चितमुच्छित्य ध्वजं सिंहं हिरण्मयम्‌ | प्रययौ पार्थमुद्दिश्य स राजा बभ्रुवाहन:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | paramārcitam ucchitya dhvajaṁ siṁhaṁ hiraṇmayam | prayayau pārtham uddiśya sa rājā babhruvāhanaḥ ||

Translation

পরম সম্মানিত সিংহচিহ্নাঙ্কিত স্বর্ণময় ধ্বজা উচ্চে তুলে রাজা বভ্রুবাহন পার্থ (অর্জুন)-এর দিকে অগ্রসর হলেন।

Word by Word

• परम्: highly, exceedingly (as object/extent)
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अर्चितम्: honoured, worshipped
• अर्चितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्च्
• Form: क्त, Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उच्छित्य: having raised, after lifting up
• उच्छित्य: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्-शि
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• ध्वजम्: banner, flag
• ध्वजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सिंहम्: lion (as emblem)
• सिंहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिंह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हिरण्मयम्: golden, made of gold
• हिरण्मयम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिरण्मय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रययौ: went forth, set out
• प्रययौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पार्थम्: Pārtha (Arjuna)
• पार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उद्दिश्य: aiming at, intending, addressing
• उद्दिश्य: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उद्-दिश्
• Form: ल्यप्/तुमुन्-समर्थ gerund (absolutive sense)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बभ्रुवाहनः: Babhruvāhana (one whose mount/vehicle is 'babhru')
• बभ्रुवाहनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बभ्रुवाहन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Babhruvāhana
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• dhvaja (banner/standard)
• siṁha (lion emblem)
• hiraṇya (gold)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

External grandeur—gold, banners, royal emblems—signals readiness and honor, but the deeper ethical weight lies in intention and duty: a kṣatriya advances to a confrontation that must be governed by dharma, not mere pride.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes King Babhruvāhana setting out to meet Arjuna in battle, marked by a raised golden banner with a lion emblem—an image of formal martial challenge and royal resolve.