Shloka 41

Adhyāya 55: Pārtha–Rādheya Saṃvāda and Tactical Exchange

Chapter 55

Devanagari script

अजुन उवाच लोहिताश्वमरिष्टं यं वैयाप्रमनुपश्यसि । नीलां पताकामारश्रित्य रथे तिष्ठन्तमुत्तर

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca | lohitāśvam ariṣṭaṃ yaṃ vaiyāpram anupaśyasi | nīlāṃ patākām āśritya rathe tiṣṭhantam uttara |

Translation

Arjuna sprach: „Uttara, der glückverheißende Älteste, den du dort siehst—auf einem Wagen mit rötlichen Pferden und mit blauem Banner—ist Kṛpa. Das ist seine auserlesene Streitmacht. Lenke mich zu dieser Abteilung; ich werde Kṛpa, berühmt für seinen festen Bogen, rasch die wahre Meisterschaft der Waffen zeigen.“

Word by Word

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

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• लोहिताश्वम्: him whose horses are red
• लोहिताश्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोहिताश्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अरिष्टम्: auspicious; excellent
• अरिष्टम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरिष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• यायाप्रम्: Yāyāpra (proper name/epithet as transmitted)
• यायाप्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यायाप्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनुपश्यसि: you see; you behold
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नीलाम्: blue
• नीलाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• पताकाम्: banner; flag
• पताकाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पताका
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आश्रित्य: having taken (as support); bearing
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-श्रि
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• रथे: on/in the chariot
• रथे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तिष्ठन्तम्: standing
• तिष्ठन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उत्तर: O Uttara
• उत्तर: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Uttara
• Kṛpācārya (Kṛpa)
• chariot (ratha)
• blue banner (nīlā patākā)
• reddish horses (lohitāśvāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights battlefield discernment and resolve: a warrior must accurately recognize leaders and standards, then act decisively according to kṣatriya-duty, even when facing revered elders like Kṛpa.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Virāṭa episode’s battle, Arjuna directs Prince Uttara to drive the chariot toward Kṛpācārya’s division, identifying him by his reddish horses and blue banner, and declares his intent to demonstrate superior weapon-skill against him.