Shloka 51

Kailāsa-darśana, Badarī-vāsa, and Sarasvatī–Dvaitavana Transition (कैलासदर्शन–बदरीवास–सरस्वतीद्वैतवनगमनम्)

Devanagari script

मीनवाजिसरूपाणां नानाशस्त्रासिपाणिनाम्‌ तथैव यातुधानानां गदामुद्गरधारिणाम्‌

Transliteration

mīnavājisarūpāṇāṃ nānāśastrāsipāṇinām tathaiva yātudhānānāṃ gadāmudgaradhāriṇām

Translation

Arjuna said: “(I beheld) beings in the forms of fish and horses, their hands bearing many kinds of weapons and swords; and likewise rākṣasa-like yātudhānas, wielding maces and heavy clubs.”

Word by Word

• मीनवाजि-सरूपाणाम्: of those having forms like fish and horses
• मीनवाजि-सरूपाणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मीन + वाजिन् + सरूप
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• नाना-शस्त्र-असि-पाणिनाम्: of those whose hands bear various weapons and swords
• नाना-शस्त्र-असि-पाणिनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना + शस्त्र + असि + पाणि
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• तथा: likewise/so
• तथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• यातुधानानाम्: of the rākṣasas/demons (yātudhānas)
• यातुधानानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यातुधान
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• गदा-मुद्गर-धारिणाम्: of those bearing maces and hammers/clubs
• गदा-मुद्गर-धारिणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गदा + मुद्गर + धारिन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• mīna (fish-forms)
• vāji (horse-forms)
• yātudhāna (demonic beings)
• śastra (weapons)
• asi (sword)
• gadā (mace)
• mudgara (club)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the bewildering, fearsome diversity of hostile forces—some grotesquely hybrid and heavily armed—testing a hero’s steadiness. Ethically, it points to the need for courage and discernment when confronted with terrifying appearances and violent intent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is describing what he sees: strange beings with fish- and horse-like forms carrying assorted weapons and swords, and yātudhānas (demonic adversaries) wielding maces and clubs—an ominous depiction of a threatening, otherworldly martial scene.