Shloka 99

आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः

Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition

Devanagari script

उग्रायुधो भीमशर: कनकायुर्दढायुध: । दृढवर्मा दृढक्षत्र: सोमकीर्तिरनूदर:

Transliteration

ugrāyudho bhīmaśaraḥ kanakāyur dṛḍhāyudhaḥ | dṛḍhavarmā dṛḍhakṣatraḥ somakīrtir anūdaraḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Da waren Krieger mit furchtbaren Waffen und unbeugsamem Entschluss—Ugrāyudha, Bhīmaśara, Kanakāyu und Dṛḍhāyudha; ferner Dṛḍhavarmā und Dṛḍhakṣatra, dazu Somakīrti und Anūdara.

Word by Word

उग्रायुधःone whose weapons are fierce

भीमशरःone whose arrows are terrible

कनकायुःone whose life/age is (like) gold; golden-lived

दृढायुधःone whose weapons are firm/strong

दृढवर्माone whose armor is firm

दृढक्षत्रःone whose dominion/warrior-power is firm

सोमकीर्तिःone whose fame is like Soma (moon); moon-bright fame

अनूदरःone with a slender belly; not pot-bellied

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Ugrāyudha

Bhīmaśara

Kanakāyu

Dṛḍhāyudha

Dṛḍhavarmā

Dṛḍhakṣatra

Somakīrti

Anūdara

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 is part of a martial catalogue: it highlights how strength, steadfastness, and reputation (kīrti) are socially prized in kṣatriya culture, while implicitly reminding the listener that such qualities, when drawn into rivalry, become morally consequential in the unfolding war.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues enumerating notable warriors by name, using compound-style epithets that stress their weaponry, armor, firmness, and renown—setting the stage by identifying key participants and the scale of armed power involved.