Shloka 23

अर्जुनस्य अन्त्येष्टि, द्वारकाप्लावनम्, कलिप्रवेशः, कालोपदेशः

Devanagari script

शरान् मुमोच चैतेषु पार्थो वैरिष्व् अमर्षितः त्वग्भेदं ते परं चक्रुर् अस्ता गाण्डीवधन्वना

Transliteration

śarān mumoca caiteṣu pārtho vairiṣv amarṣitaḥ tvagbhedaṃ te paraṃ cakrur astā gāṇḍīvadhanvanā

Translation

Then Pārtha, inflamed with wrath against those enemies, loosed his arrows upon them. Shot forth from the bow Gāṇḍīva, those shafts tore through their skin and dealt grievous wounds.

Word by Word

• śarān: arrows
• śarān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• mumoca: released; shot
• mumoca: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• eteṣu: among these
• eteṣu: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम — ‘in/among these’

• pārthaḥ: Pārtha (Arjuna)
• pārthaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• vairiṣu: among enemies
• vairiṣu: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vairin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन

• amarṣitaḥ: enraged; intolerant
• amarṣitaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-marṣita (प्रातिपदिक; √mṛṣ/√marṣ with उपसर्ग a- neg.)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पार्थः) — ‘unforbearing/angered’

• tvak-bhedam: skin-splitting; a cut in the skin
• tvak-bhedam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvac (प्रातिपदिक) + bheda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (त्वचः भेदः)

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम — ‘they’ (ref. arrows)

• param: great; severe
• param: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (tvak-bhedam) — ‘great/utter’

• cakruḥ: did; made
• cakruḥ: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• astāḥ: shot; hurled
• astāḥ: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: asta (प्रातिपदिक; √as ‘to throw’ → ‘thrown’ as PPP)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; कर्मणि/भावे — ‘having been shot’

• gāṇḍīva-dhanvanā: by the wielder of Gāṇḍīva
• gāṇḍīva-dhanvanā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāṇḍīva (प्रातिपदिक) + dhanvan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गाण्डीवस्य धन्वा)

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna (Pārtha)
• Gāṇḍīva
• Enemies (foes in battle narrative)

FAQs

What is the significance of Arjuna (Pārtha) in this Vishnu Purana verse?

The verse highlights Arjuna as the decisive Kṣatriya agent who enforces dharma in battle, reflecting how Purāṇic history frames righteous force as a tool for restoring order.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the action here within the larger dialogue with Maitreya?

Parāśara, while recounting dynastic-epic events to Maitreya, compresses the battlefield into a clear moral-heroic image: Arjuna’s controlled fury and skill serve the narrative of rightful sovereignty and protection of social order.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

Even when Vishnu is not named in the line, the Vishnu Purana’s historiography treats such victories as movements within Vishnu-governed cosmic order—where dharma, kingship, and heroic agency ultimately operate under the Supreme Reality’s sovereignty.