Shloka 15

Lomaśa’s Arrival and Report on Arjuna’s Divine Astras (लोमशागमनम्—अर्जुनदिव्यास्त्रलाभवृत्तान्तः)

Devanagari script

केतुमाला च मेध्या च गड्जाद्वारं च भूमिप । ख्यातं च सैन्धवारण्यं पुण्यं द्विजनिषेवितम्‌

Transliteration

Ketumālā ca medhyā ca gaḍjādvāraṃ ca bhūmipa | khyātaṃ ca saindhavāraṇyaṃ puṇyaṃ dvijaniṣevitam ||

Translation

Dhaumya sprach: „O König, da sind Ketumālā und Medhyā, ebenso der Ort namens Gaḍjādvāra; und der berühmte Saindhava-Wald — heilig und von Brahmanen, den ‚Zweimalgeborenen‘, häufig aufgesucht.“

Word by Word

केतुमालाKetumālā (name of a place/region)

चand

मेध्याholy; fit for sacrifice

चand

गजद्वारम्Gajadvāra (Elephant-gate; name of a place)

चand

भूमिपO king (lord of the earth)

ख्यातम्renowned; well-known

चand

सैन्धवारण्यंSaindhava-forest (forest of the Sindhu region)

पुण्यम्sacred; meritorious

द्विजनिषेवितम्frequented/inhabited by Brahmins (twice-born)

Speaker

धौम्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

ध

धौम्य (Dhaumya)

भ

भूप (the king, addressed as Bhūmipa)

क

केतुमाला (Ketumālā)

म

मेध्या (Medhyā)

ग

गड्जाद्वार (Gaḍjādvāra)

स

सैन्धवारण्य (Saindhavāraṇya)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the dharmic value of sacred places: holiness is linked to puṇya and to the sustained presence of learned, disciplined dvijas, suggesting that ethical and ritual culture sanctifies geography.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dhaumya addresses the king and enumerates notable, reputedly holy locations—Ketumālā, Medhyā, Gaḍjādvāra, and the Saindhava forest—characterizing them as sacred and associated with Brahmin visitation, as part of a broader description of meritorious places.