Shloka 15

Devanagari script

प्रयातस्याथ पार्थस्य महान्‌ स्वेदो व्यजायत

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca | prayātasya atha pārthasya mahān svedo vyajāyata, prayāhi śīghraṁ govinda sūtaputra-jighāṁsayā |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „Als Pārtha (Arjuna) aufbrach, trat ihm starker Schweiß hervor. Und er drängte: ‚Eile, Govinda—vom Entschluss getrieben, den Sohn des Wagenlenkers zu töten.‘“

Word by Word

• प्रयातस्य: of (him) having set out / when (he) had set out
• प्रयातस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयात (√या + प्र)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अथ: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• पार्थस्य: of Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• महान्: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वेदः: sweat
• स्वेदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वेद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• व्यजायत: arose / was produced
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (जायते) + वि
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Ātmanepada

• प्रयाहि: go forth / depart
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या + प्र
• Form: Imperative (Loṭ), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र

• गोविन्द: O Govinda (Krishna)
• गोविन्द: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोविन्द
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सूतपुत्र: the charioteer’s son (Karna)
• सूतपुत्र: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जिघांसया: with the desire to kill
• जिघांसया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिघांसā (desiderative noun from √हन्)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Govinda (Kṛṣṇa)
• Sūtaputra (Karṇa)
• sweat (sveda)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the psychological and ethical pressure of righteous war: even a foremost warrior like Arjuna shows bodily signs of strain, yet he channels that intensity into decisive action. It also reflects reliance on Kṛṣṇa’s guidance—speed and strategy are sought, but the moral burden of killing remains palpable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that as Arjuna sets out, he breaks into heavy sweat and urgently commands Kṛṣṇa (Govinda) to drive swiftly, intent on killing Karṇa (called sūtaputra). The scene conveys immediate mobilization toward a climactic confrontation.