Shloka 28

Devanagari script

अलंघयदू वै सरितो जिघांसन्‌ शक्रं वज्ं प्रहरन्तं निरास । स महेन्द्र: स्तूयते वै महाध्वरे विप्रैरैको ऋक्‍्सहस: पुराणै:

Transliteration

alaṅghayad ū vai sarito jighāṃsan śakraṃ vajraṃ praharantaṃ nirāsa | sa mahendraḥ stūyate vai mahādhvare viprair eko ṛk-sahasraiḥ purāṇaiḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: Seeking to slay Śakra (Indra), he leapt across many rivers and drove back Indra as he stood ready to strike with the thunderbolt (vajra). That very one is praised as Mahendra: in great sacrificial rites, the Brahmins extol him alone with thousands of ancient Ṛg-vedic hymns.

Word by Word

• अलङ्घयत्: leapt over, crossed
• अलङ्घयत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: लङ्घ्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ऊ: indeed (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊ

• वै: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• सरितः: rivers
• सरितः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरित्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• जिघांसन्: wishing to kill
• जिघांसन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शक्रम्: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वज्रम्: thunderbolt
• वज्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रहरन्तम्: striking, hurling
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हृ
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• निरास: drove away, repelled
• Type: Verb
• Root: निरस्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महेन्द्रः: Mahendra (great Indra)
• महेन्द्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्तूयते: is praised
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्तु
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 3, Singular, Ātmanepada (passive sense)

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

• महाध्वरे: in the great sacrifice
• महाध्वरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाध्वर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• विप्रैः: by Brahmins
• विप्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• एकः: one, alone
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ऋक्सहसः: with thousands of Ṛk-verses
• ऋक्सहसः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्सहस
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• पुराणैः: ancient
• पुराणैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुराण
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Śakra (Indra)
• Vajra (thunderbolt)
• Mahendra
• Rivers (saritaḥ)
• Brahmins (vipra)
• Mahādhvara (great sacrifice)
• Ṛk (Ṛgvedic hymns)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Supreme divinity transcends and governs even the highest gods: the same reality that can thwart Indra’s thunderbolt is also the one praised in Vedic sacrifices. Ethically, it cautions against pride in power and directs reverence toward the ultimate source behind divine authority.

What is happening in the narrative?

A divine figure (implied as the supreme lord) intends to slay Indra, crosses many rivers in pursuit, and repels Indra when he raises the vajra to strike. Bhīṣma then identifies that very being as ‘Mahendra,’ praised by Brahmins in great sacrifices with thousands of ancient Ṛgvedic hymns.