Shloka 486

Devanagari script

शारद्वतीसुतो राजन्नर्जुनं प्रत्यवारयत्‌ । राजन! जिनकी ध्वजामें सिंहकी पूँछका चिह्न था, उन शारद्वतीपुत्र कृपाचार्यने अपना बल-पराक्रम दिखाते हुए अर्जुनको रोका

Transliteration

śāradvatīsuto rājann arjunaṃ pratyavārayat |

Translation

Sañjaya said: O King, Śāradvatī’s son—Kṛpācārya—checked Arjuna’s advance. Bearing a banner marked with a lion’s tail, he displayed his strength and martial prowess, standing as a resolute defender amid a conflict righteous in claim yet devastating in force.

Word by Word

• शारद्वतीसुतः: the son of Śāradvatī (Kṛpa)
• शारद्वतीसुतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शारद्वती-सुत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अर्जुनम्: Arjuna
• अर्जुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रत्यवारयत्: warded off / restrained / stopped
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-अव-√वृ (वारयति)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Kṛpācārya (Śāradvatī’s son)
• Arjuna
• banner/standard (dhvaja)
• lion’s tail emblem

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even within a catastrophic war, individuals act according to their appointed roles: Kṛpācārya’s restraint of Arjuna highlights steadfastness, discipline, and the kṣatriya ideal of meeting force with rightful resistance, while reminding that prowess is ethically framed by duty rather than mere aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Kṛpācārya (son of Śāradvatī), identifiable by his banner’s lion-tail emblem, confronts and halts Arjuna’s advance on the battlefield, demonstrating his martial power.