Shloka 16

अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः

Devanagari script

हत्वा गर्वं समारूढो भीष्मद्रोणजयद्रथान् कर्णादींश् च न जानाति बलं ग्रामनिवासिनाम्

Transliteration

hatvā garvaṃ samārūḍho bhīṣmadroṇajayadrathān karṇādīṃś ca na jānāti balaṃ grāmanivāsinām

Translation

Having slain Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Jayadratha, Karṇa and the rest, he climbed to the summit of pride—yet he does not know the true strength that abides among the village-folk.

Word by Word

• हत्वा: having slain
• हत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (पूर्वकर्म/Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (prior action), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः

• गर्वम्: pride
• गर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• समारूढः: mounted, having ascended
• समारूढः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण

• भीष्मद्रोणजयद्रथान्: Bhīṣma, Droṇa, Jayadratha (and others)
• भीष्मद्रोणजयद्रथान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म + द्रोण + जयद्रथ (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (enumerative)

• कर्णादीन्: Karna and others
• कर्णादीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; आदि-शब्देन समाहारः (Karna and the rest)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation particle)

• जानाति: knows
• जानाति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• बलम्: strength
• बलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ग्रामनिवासिनाम्: of the village-dwellers
• ग्रामनिवासिनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्राम + निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; ग्रामे निवसन्ति इति (inhabitants of a village)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Past martial triumphs can inflate ego, yet true ‘strength’ is situational and must remain tethered to humility and dharma.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Do not let achievements harden into arrogance; cultivate humility and preparedness for ordinary, unexpected challenges.

Vishishtadvaita: Implied dependence of all prowess on the Lord’s sanction; when divine support withdraws, pride collapses.

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Drona
• Jayadratha
• Karna
• Villagers (gramanivasi)

FAQs

What is the significance of mentioning Bhishma, Drona, Jayadratha, and Karna in the Vishnu Purana?

They function as Mahābhārata benchmarks of formidable warrior power; the verse uses their defeat to highlight how victory can inflate pride and obscure deeper, societal sources of strength.

How does Sage Parashara explain the concept of strength in this verse?

Strength is not only battlefield prowess; Parāśara points to the often-ignored collective force of ordinary village communities, implying a king’s stability depends on the people as much as on arms.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Implicitly, power and sovereignty are meaningful only when aligned with dharma upheld under Vishnu’s cosmic order; pride after conquest is portrayed as ignorance of the deeper foundations of rule.