Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तामापतन्तीं वेगेन गदां ज्वालाकुलां तत:

Transliteration

tām āpatantīṁ vegena gadāṁ jvālākulāṁ tataḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then he saw that blazing mace—wreathed in flames—hurtling down with great speed. The image underscores the war’s ferocity, where weapons become instruments of overwhelming force, testing the warriors’ restraint, resolve, and adherence to kṣatriya-duty amid chaos.

Word by Word

• ताम्: her/that (fem.)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आपतन्तीम्: falling/coming down (upon)
• आपतन्तीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपत् (धातु) → आपतन्ती (वर्तमान-कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वेगेन: with speed/force
• वेगेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• गदाम्: mace
• गदाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ज्वाला-आकुलाम्: filled with flames, flame-tossed
• ज्वाला-आकुलाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वाला (प्रातिपदिक) + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereupon; from there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• gadā (mace)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the intensity of righteous warfare: even amid terrifying force, a warrior is expected to meet danger with steadiness and duty-conscious action, not panic or cruelty beyond the code of battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a mace, blazing and flame-wreathed, rushing swiftly toward its target—an immediate battlefield moment signaling a powerful strike about to land.