Shloka 78

Arjuna’s Himalayan Departure and the Commencement of Severe Tapas

Janamejaya’s Inquiry; Sages Approach Śiva

Devanagari script

पिनाकगोपष्जरे सूर्याय मंगल्याय च वेधसे । प्रसादये त्वां भगवन्‌ सर्वभूतमहेश्वर,पिनाकरक्षक, सूर्यस्वरूप, मंगलकारक और सृष्टिकर्ता आप परमेश्वरको नमस्कार है। भगवन! सर्वभूत-महेश्वर! मैं आपको प्रसन्न करना चाहता हूँ

Transliteration

Arjuna uvāca: Pinākagopaśjare sūryāya maṅgalyāya ca vedhase | prasādaye tvāṃ bhagavan sarvabhūtamaheśvara ||

Translation

Salutations to you—guardian of the Pināka, radiant as the Sun, auspicious in power, and the cosmic Ordainer. O Blessed Lord, Great Lord of all beings, I seek to please you and win your grace.

Word by Word

• पिनाकगोपष्जरे: to the bearer of Pināka, the protector, the archer
• पिनाकगोपष्जरे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिनाक-गोप-शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• सूर्याय: to the Sun
• सूर्याय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• मंगल्याय: to the auspicious one
• मंगल्याय: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मंगल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वेधसे: to the creator/ordainer
• वेधसे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• प्रसादये: I propitiate / I seek to please
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√सद् (धातु) / प्रसादयति
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• भगवन्: O Lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सर्वभूतमहेश्वर: O great lord of all beings
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-भूत-महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Pināka (Śiva’s bow)
• Sūrya (Sun)
• Maheśvara (the Great Lord, i.e., Śiva)
• Vedhas (the cosmic ordainer/creator, epithet)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models bhakti grounded in humility: Arjuna approaches the supreme Lord as the source of protection, auspiciousness, and cosmic order, seeking divine grace rather than relying solely on personal strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Vana Parva context, Arjuna is engaged in propitiation—addressing the Great Lord with exalted epithets (protector of Pināka, sun-like, auspicious, creator) to obtain favor and spiritual empowerment.