Shloka 8

वज्रदत्तेन सह अर्जुनयुद्धम्

Arjuna’s engagement with Vajradatta during the Aśvamedha circuit

Devanagari script

ततः पार्थ समासाद्य पाण्डवानां महारथम्‌ | आह्वयामास बीभत्सुं बाल्यान्मोहाच्च संयुगे

Transliteration

tataḥ pārtha samāsādya pāṇḍavānāṃ mahāratham | āhvayāmāsa bībhatsuṃ bālyān mohācca saṃyuge ||

Translation

Dann trat jener König an Pārtha heran—den großen Wagenkämpfer unter den Pāṇḍavas—und forderte Bībhatsu (Arjuna) im Getümmel der Schlacht heraus, getrieben von kindischem Übermut und Verblendung.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय

• पार्थ: O Partha (Arjuna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• समासाद्य: having approached
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद्
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव), पूर्वकाल

• पाण्डवानाम्: of the Pandavas
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• महारथम्: the great chariot-warrior
• महारथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आह्वयामास: challenged, called out
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√ह्वे (ह्वा)
• Form: लिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• बीभत्सुम्: Bibhatsu (Arjuna)
• बीभत्सुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीभत्सु
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• बाल्यात्: from childishness
• बाल्यात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• मोहात्: from delusion
• मोहात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: अव्यय

• संयुगे: in battle
• संयुगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Bībhatsu (Arjuna)
• Pāṇḍavas
• a king (unnamed in this verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that war can be instigated not only by policy or justice but also by childish pride and delusion; ethical restraint and clarity are implied as superior to impulsive provocation.

What is happening in the narrative?

An unnamed king rides up to Arjuna (Pārtha/Bībhatsu), the foremost warrior among the Pāṇḍavas, and challenges him to fight, motivated by immaturity and confusion in the heat of battle.