Shloka 34

Mahābhārata-saṅkṣepa and Avatāra-kāraṇa

Brahmā’s Synopsis of the Epic and the Logic of Divine Descents

Devanagari script

जघान बाहुवीर्येण पितुर्वधमनुस्मरन् / धृष्टद्युम्नं जघानाथ द्रौपदेयांश्च वीर्यवान्

Transliteration

jaghāna bāhuvīryeṇa piturvadhamanusmaran / dhṛṣṭadyumnaṃ jaghānātha draupadeyāṃśca vīryavān

Translation

Im Gedenken an die Ermordung seines Vaters erschlug der mächtige Held seine Feinde mit der Kraft seiner Arme; danach tötete er auch Dhṛṣṭadyumna und die tapferen Söhne der Draupadī.

Word by Word

• जघान: killed
• जघान: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• बाहु-वीर्येण: by the strength of (his) arms
• बाहु-वीर्येण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक) + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम्, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचनम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (बाहोः वीर्यम्)

• पितुः: of (his) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचनम्

• वधम्: killing, slaughter
• वधम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• अनुस्मरन्: remembering
• अनुस्मरन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तः (present active participle), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्

• धृष्टद्युम्नम्: Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• धृष्टद्युम्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धृष्टद्युम्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचनम्

• जघान: killed
• जघान: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse marker (Sambandha/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; अनुक्रम/सम्बन्धसूचक (then/now)

• द्रौपदेयान्: the sons of Draupadī
• द्रौपदेयान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रौपदेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Connector (Samuccaya/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• वीर्यवान्: mighty, powerful
• वीर्यवान्: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीर्यवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम्, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचनम्; गुणवाचक विशेषणम्

Speaker

Unclear from provided excerpt (requires surrounding verses/colophon).

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Krodha and vengeance perpetuate cycles of violence; actions driven by saṃskāra (memory of injury) yield further suffering.

Vedantic Theme: Bandhana through rajas-tamas; saṃsāric causality (karma-bandha) intensified by passion.

Application: Recognize how grievance-memory fuels harmful action; cultivate restraint and seek dharmic resolution rather than retaliatory escalation.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: karuna

Geographic Context

Type: battlefield / royal sphere

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.145.35-38 (continuation: Arjuna’s restraint, rites, and Viṣṇu-worship)

Characters & Entities

• Dhṛṣṭadyumna
• Draupadeyas (sons of Draupadī)

FAQs

What is the importance of recalling a father's death in this verse?

The verse frames action as driven by remembrance of a prior wrong, showing how memory of injury can fuel retaliatory violence and shape one’s conduct.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

This specific verse does not describe afterlife mechanics (Yama, preta-state, pinda, etc.); it is a battlefield narrative reference and would need surrounding Garuda Purana context to link it to karmic or post-death teaching.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It cautions that unresolved grievance and revenge can perpetuate harm; practicing restraint and dharmic resolution prevents cycles of retaliation.