Shloka 33

अग्निभय-प्रसङ्गे मन्दपालस्य शोकः

Mandapāla’s Lament amid the Threat of Fire

Devanagari script

सर्वतः परिवार्यवं दावमेतं महाप्रभो । काम सम्प्रज्वलाद्यैव कल्यौ स्व: साह्मुकर्मणि,महाप्रभो! अब आप इस सम्पूर्ण वनको चारों ओरसे घेरकर आज ही इच्छानुसार जलाइये। हम आपकी सहायताके लिये तैयार हैं

Transliteration

sarvataḥ parivārya vanaṃ dāvam etaṃ mahāprabho | kāmaṃ saṃprajvalādyaiva kalyau svaḥ sāhmukarmaṇi ||

Translation

Arjuna sprach: „O mächtiger Herr! Umzingele dieses Waldfeuer von allen Seiten und verbrenne dieses Gehölz noch heute, wie es dir beliebt. Wir stehen bereit, dir bei diesem Werk beizustehen.“

Word by Word

सर्वतःon all sides, everywhere

परिवार्यhaving surrounded, encircling

वनम्forest

दावम्forest-fire, conflagration

एतम्this

महाप्रभोO great lord

कामम्as you wish, at will (lit. desire)

सम्प्रज्वलignite, set ablaze

अद्यtoday, now

एवindeed, just

कल्यौquickly/at once (reading uncertain)

स्वःtomorrow (or heaven; here likely temporal, reading uncertain)

साह्मुकर्मणिin the act of assistance/help (reading uncertain)

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

forest (vana)

forest-fire (dāva)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights readiness to support a powerful ally in a chosen task, emphasizing resolve and coordinated action; ethically, it invites reflection on responsibility when assisting actions that involve large-scale destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna addresses a mighty figure (mahāprabhu), urging him to encircle the forest-fire and burn the forest as desired, while declaring that he and his companion(s) are prepared to help in carrying out the act.