Shloka 15

Devanagari script

तमापततन्तं सम्प्रेक्ष्य केतुवर्माणमाहवे । अभ्यष्नन्निशितैर्बाणैर्बीभत्सु: परवीरहा,केतुवर्माको युद्धस्थलमें धावा करते देख शत्रुवीरोंका संहार करनेवाले अर्जुनने अपने तीखे बाणोंसे उसे मार डाला

Transliteration

tam āpatatantaṁ samprekṣya ketuvarmāṇam āhave | abhyaṣṇann iśitair bāṇair bībhatsuḥ paravīrahā ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Seeing Ketuvarmā charging headlong on the battlefield, Arjuna—Bībhatsu, the slayer of enemy champions—swiftly struck him with razor-sharp arrows, cutting down the onrushing warrior.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आपतन्तम्: rushing/charging (towards)
• आपतन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: आपत् (धातु: पत्/आपत्)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सम्प्रेक्ष्य: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्रेक्ष्
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वान्त अव्यय), Parasmaipada (usage as gerund), Non-finite

• केतुवर्माणम्: Ketuvarman (proper name)
• केतुवर्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: केतुवर्मन् (नाम)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अभ्यष्णन्: he struck/attacked
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + अश् (व्याप्तौ/प्राप्तौ)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), Parasmaipada, 3rd, Singular

• निशितैः: with sharp
• निशितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• बाणैः: arrows
• बाणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• बीभत्सुः: Bibhatsu (Arjuna)
• बीभत्सुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीभत्सु (अर्जुन-नाम)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परवीरहा: slayer of enemy-heroes
• परवीरहा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर-वीर-हन्
• Form: क्विप्/अ (agent-noun from हन्), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna (Bībhatsu)
• Ketuvarmā
• battlefield (āhava)
• arrows (bāṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in wartime: when an armed opponent charges in open battle, a warrior must respond decisively to protect his side and uphold the rules of combat, even when the act is lethal.

What is happening in the narrative?

Ketuvarmā rushes forward in the fight; Arjuna sees him charging and strikes him with sharp arrows, bringing him down as part of the ongoing battlefield encounter.