Shloka 32

Arjuna’s Concentrated Archery and the Rout of the Kaurava Mahārathas

Gāṇḍīva-Nirghoṣa Episode

Devanagari script

तामर्जुनस्तदा5<यान्तीं शक्ति हेमविभूषिताम्‌ । वियद्गतां महोल्काभां चिच्छेद दशभि: शरै:

Transliteration

tām arjunas tadāyāntīṁ śaktiṁ hemavibhūṣitām | viyadgatāṁ maholkābhāṁ ciccheda daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ ||

Translation

Then Arjuna, seeing that gold-adorned spear rushing toward him—coursing through the sky like a great meteor—cut it down with ten arrows.

Word by Word

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• आयान्तीम्: coming, approaching
• आयान्तीम्: Karma
• Type: Participle
• Root: आ-या (धातु) / आयन्ती (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular, Present (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय; वर्तमानकालिक), Parasmaipada (active participle)

• शक्तिम्: a spear/javelin
• शक्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• हेम-विभूषिताम्: adorned with gold
• हेम-विभूषिताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम + विभूषित (वि-भूष् + क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वियत्-गताम्: gone into the sky; moving through the air
• वियत्-गताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वियत् + गत (गम् + क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• महा-उल्का-आभाम्: having the splendor of a great meteor/firebrand
• महा-उल्का-आभाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + उल्का + आभा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• चिच्छेद: cut, severed
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दशभिः: with ten
• दशभिः: Karana
• Type: Numeral
• Root: दशन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (common for numerals), Instrumental, Plural

• शरैः: arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• śakti (spear/javelin)
• arrows
• sky (viyat)
• meteor/fireball (ulkā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in conflict, excellence is shown through restraint and precision: Arjuna neutralizes a deadly threat efficiently, using skill to prevent harm rather than escalating violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

A gold-decorated spear hurtles through the air toward Arjuna like a blazing meteor; Arjuna responds by severing it mid-flight with ten arrows.