Shloka 26

अलंबलवधः (Alaṃbala-vadhaḥ) / The Slaying of Alaṃbala and the Advance toward Karṇa

Devanagari script

नमस्तस्मै सुपूज्याय गौतमायापलायिने

Transliteration

namas tasmai supūjyāya gautamāyāpalāyine

Translation

Sañjaya said: “Reverent salutations to that most worthy and highly honored Gautama, who does not flee from duty or danger.”

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation; homage
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नमस्
• Form: Avyaya (indeclinable interjection)

• तस्मै: to him/that one
• तस्मै: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Dative, Singular

• सुपूज्याय: to the highly venerable
• सुपूज्याय: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुपूज्य
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• गौतमाय: to Gautama
• गौतमाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun (proper name)
• Root: गौतम
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• अपलायिने: to the one who does not flee; steadfast
• अपलायिने: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपलायिन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Gautama

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse commends steadfastness: the truly honorable person is one who does not abandon duty out of fear. In a war-ethics setting, “not fleeing” signals courage joined to responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya offers a formal salutation, praising a figure named Gautama as supremely worthy of honor and as one who does not retreat. It functions as a brief encomium within the ongoing war narration.