Shloka 98

आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः

Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition

Devanagari script

अयोबाहुर्महाबाहुश्रित्रचापसुकुण्डलौ । भीमवेगो भीमबलो बलाकी भीमविक्रमौ

Transliteration

ayobāhur mahābāhuś citracāpasukuṇḍalau | bhīmavego bhīmabalo balākī bhīmavikramau

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dijo: Tenían brazos de hierro y brazos poderosos, engalanados con arcos de vivos colores y finos pendientes; terribles en velocidad y fuerza, arremetían con la rapidez de las grullas, y eran formidables en valor.

Word by Word

• अयोबाहुः: he whose arms are like iron
• अयोबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयोबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाबाहुः: mighty-armed
• महाबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रीत्रचापः: he who has an excellent bow
• श्रीत्रचापः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रीत्रचाप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुकुण्डलौ: the two who wear fine earrings
• सुकुण्डलौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुकुण्डल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• भीमवेगः: of terrible speed
• भीमवेगः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीमवेग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भीमबलः: of terrible strength
• भीमबलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीमबल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बलाकी: Balākin (a proper name/epithet)
• बलाकी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलाकिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भीमविक्रमौ: the two of terrible prowess
• भीमविक्रमौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीमविक्रम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• bows (cāpa)
• earrings (kuṇḍala)
• crane (balākā/balākī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes extraordinary strength and valor as awe-inspiring qualities, implicitly pointing to the ethical need for such power to be governed by dharma—so that might serves protection and rightful order rather than unchecked aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing warriors through a cluster of epithets—iron-armed, mighty-armed, bearing ornate bows and earrings, terrifyingly swift and strong—using the crane (balākī) as a vivid simile to intensify the sense of speed and striking presence.