Shloka 17

Yuddha-yajña-vyākhyāna (The Battle as Sacrifice): Ambarīṣa–Indra Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

प्रासतोमरसंघाता: खड्गशक्तिपरश्चधा: । ज्वलन्तो निशिता: पीता: खुचस्तस्याथ सत्रिण:,प्रास, तोमरसमूह, खड्ग, शक्ति, फरसे आदि चमचमाते हुए तीखे और पानीदार शस्त्र यज्ञकर्ताके लिये खुक॒का काम देते हैं

Transliteration

prāsatomarasaṅghātāḥ khaḍgaśaktiparaśvadhāḥ | jvalanto niśitāḥ pītāḥ khucas tasyātha satriṇaḥ ||

Translation

Ambarīṣa said: “Clusters of spears and javelins, swords, lances, and battle-axes—blazing, razor-sharp, and gleaming—become, for that sacrificer, as though they were mere ‘khucas’ (harmless implements).”

Word by Word

प्रासspears

तोमरjavelins

संघाताःmasses/heaps (collections)

खड्गswords

शक्तिspears/lances (śakti-weapon)

परश्चaxes

अथthen/and

ज्वलन्तःblazing, flaming

निशिताःsharpened, keen-edged

पीताःyellow/golden (or: drunk; context suggests golden/gleaming)

खुचाःdaggers/knives (khucā)

तस्यof him/of that (person)

सत्रिणःsacrificers/performers of a sattra (ritual)

Speaker

अम्बरीष उवाच

Characters & Entities

Ambarīṣa

weapons (prāsa, tomara, khaḍga, śakti, paraśvadha)

sacrificer (satriṇaḥ / yajamāna implied)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that steadfast adherence to dharma—here expressed through the sanctity of sacrifice and disciplined conduct—creates a moral-ritual protection so strong that even the threat of weapons is portrayed as losing its power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Ambarīṣa describes, in vivid martial imagery, many kinds of sharp, shining weapons and states that for the sacrificer they function as something insignificant or harmless—emphasizing the safeguarded status of one engaged in righteous sacrificial duty.