Shloka 43

Devanagari script

कमण्डलुधरो धन्वी बाणहस्त: कपालवान्‌ । अशनी शतघ्नी खड्गी पट्टिशी चायुधी महान्‌,१०७ कमण्डलुधर:--एक हाथमें कमण्डलु धारण करनेवाले, १०८ धन्वी--दूसरे हाथमें धनुष धारण करनेवाले, १०९ बाणहस्त:--तीसरे हाथमें बाण लिये रहनेवाले, ११० कपालवानू--चौथे हाथमें कपालधारी, १११ अशनी--पाँचवें हाथमें वज्र धारण करनेवाले, ११२ शतघ्नी--छठे हाथमें शतघ्नी रखनेवाले, ११३ खड़्गी--साततेंमें खड्गधारी, ११४ पट्टिशी--आठवेंमें पट्टिश धारण करनेवाले, ११५ आयुधी--नवें हाथमें अपने सामान्य आयुध त्रिशूलको लिये रहनेवाले, ११६ महान्‌--सर्वश्रेष्ठ

Transliteration

kamaṇḍaludharo dhanvī bāṇahastaḥ kapālavān | aśanī śataghnī khaḍgī paṭṭiśī cāyudhī mahān ||

Translation

Vāyu-deva said: “He appeared as a great, supreme warrior, bearing a water-pot (kamaṇḍalu), a bow, and an arrow in his hand; carrying a skull-bowl, wielding a thunderbolt and a śataghnī, holding a sword and a paṭṭiśa, and also bearing his customary weapon, the trident.”

Word by Word

कमण्डलुधरःbearing a water-pot (kamaṇḍalu)

धन्वीbow-bearing, archer

बाणहस्तःhaving an arrow in (his) hand

कपालवान्skull-bearing

अशनीbearing a thunderbolt (vajra)

शतघ्नीbearing a śataghnī weapon

खड्गीsword-bearing

पट्टिशीbearing a battle-axe (paṭṭiśa)

चand

आयुधीarmed, weapon-bearing

महान्great, mighty

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu-deva

kamaṇḍalu

bow (dhanus)

arrow (bāṇa)

skull-bowl (kapāla)

thunderbolt (aśanī/vajra)

śataghnī

sword (khaḍga)

paṭṭiśa

trident (triśūla)

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 juxtaposes ascetic insignia (kamaṇḍalu, kapāla) with formidable weapons, suggesting an ideal of power governed by restraint: spiritual authority and martial capability are to be integrated under dharma, not driven by mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu-deva describes a mighty figure’s appearance by listing the many items and weapons he bears, emphasizing both awe-inspiring martial readiness and ascetic/ritual markers, thereby portraying a supreme, multi-aspected protector.