Shloka 15

Lokapāla-samāgamaḥ—Arjuna Receives Astras from the World-Guardians

Book 3, Chapter 42

Devanagari script

अजुन उवाच मातले गच्छ शीघ्रं त्वमारोहस्व रथोत्तमम्‌ | राजसूयाश्दमेधानां शतैरपि सुदुर्लभम्‌

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca mātale gaccha śīghraṁ tvam ārohasva rathottamam | rājasūyāśvamedhānāṁ śatair api sudurlabham ||

Translation

Arjuna sprach: „Mātali, eile dich. Besteige diesen vortrefflichen Wagen. Selbst das Verdienst und der Lohn von Hunderten von Rājasūya- und Aśvamedha-Opfern sind überaus schwer zu erlangen (dem gleich).“

Word by Word

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मातले: O Mātali
• मातले: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातलि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गच्छ: go
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• आरोहस्व: mount (for yourself), ascend
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Singular, Atmanepada

• रथ-उत्तमम्: the best chariot
• रथ-उत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• राजसूय-अश्वमेधानाम्: of the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha (sacrifices)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसूयाश्वमेध
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• शतैः: by hundreds
• शतैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अपि: even, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• सुदुर्लभम्: very hard to obtain
• सुदुर्लभम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदुर्लभ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Mātali
• chariot (ratha)
• Rājasūya sacrifice
• Aśvamedha sacrifice

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores that certain outcomes—here framed as extraordinary, hard-won merit comparable to (or beyond) even numerous great royal sacrifices—are rare and demand prompt, decisive action rather than delay.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna addresses Mātali and urges him to hurry and mount the excellent chariot, emphasizing the exceptional value and rarity of what is at stake by comparing it to the difficult-to-attain fruits of Rājasūya and Aśvamedha sacrifices.