Shloka 98

आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः

Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition

Devanagari script

अयोबाहुर्महाबाहुश्रित्रचापसुकुण्डलौ । भीमवेगो भीमबलो बलाकी भीमविक्रमौ

Transliteration

ayobāhur mahābāhuś citracāpasukuṇḍalau | bhīmavego bhīmabalo balākī bhīmavikramau

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Sie waren eisenarmig und mächtigarmig, geschmückt mit bunt gezeichneten Bögen und feinen Ohrringen—furchtbar an Schnelligkeit und Kraft, stürmten sie heran wie Kraniche im jähen Anflug und waren gewaltig an Tapferkeit.

Word by Word

अयोबाहुःhe whose arms are like iron

महाबाहुःmighty-armed

श्रीत्रचापःhe who has an excellent bow

सुकुण्डलौthe two who wear fine earrings

भीमवेगःof terrible speed

भीमबलःof terrible strength

बलाकीBalākin (a proper name/epithet)

भीमविक्रमौthe two of terrible prowess

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

bows (cāpa)

earrings (kuṇḍala)

crane (balākā/balākī)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes extraordinary strength and valor as awe-inspiring qualities, implicitly pointing to the ethical need for such power to be governed by dharma—so that might serves protection and rightful order rather than unchecked aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing warriors through a cluster of epithets—iron-armed, mighty-armed, bearing ornate bows and earrings, terrifyingly swift and strong—using the crane (balākī) as a vivid simile to intensify the sense of speed and striking presence.