Shloka 26

अलर्कोपाख्यानम् — Indriya-Nigraha and Yogic Victory

Mahābhārata 14.30

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच ततोअलर्कस्तपो घोर तत्रैवास्थाय दुष्करम्‌ | नाध्यगच्छत्‌ परं शक्‍्त्या बाणमेतेषु सप्तसु,ब्राह्मणने कहा--देवि! तदनन्तर अलर्कने उसी पेड़के नीचे बैठकर घोर तपस्या की, किंतु उससे मन-बुद्धिसहित पाँचों इन्द्रियोंको मारनेयोग्य किसी उत्तम बाणका पता न चला

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca tato 'larkas tapo ghoraṁ tatraivāsthāya duṣkaram | nādhyagacchat paraṁ śaktyā bāṇam eteṣu saptasu ||

Translation

The Brāhmaṇa said: Thereafter Alarka, remaining right there beneath that tree, undertook a fierce and arduous austerity. Yet, even with all his power, he did not discover among those seven any supreme arrow capable of subduing the mind and intellect along with the five senses.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अलर्कः: Alarka (proper name)
• अलर्कः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलर्क
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• घोरम्: terrible, severe
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• आस्थाय: having undertaken; having remained/settled
• Type: Verb
• Root: आस्था (आ + स्था)
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• दुष्करम्: difficult (to do)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्कर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अध्यगच्छत्: found; obtained; came to know
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + गम्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• परम्: supreme, excellent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शक्त्या: by (his) power/ability
• शक्त्या: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• बाणम्: arrow
• बाणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एतेषु: among these
• एतेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• सप्तसु: among seven
• सप्तसु: Adhikarana
• Type: Numeral
• Root: सप्तन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (Brāhmaṇa narrator)
• अलर्क (Alarka)
• बाण (arrow)
• सप्त (seven arrows/weapons, implied set)