Shloka 9

प्राग्ज्योतिषे वज्रदत्त-धनंजय-समागमः

Vajradatta Confronts Dhanaṃjaya at Prāgjyotiṣa

Devanagari script

ततल्त्रिगर्तराजानं सूर्यवर्माणमाहवे । विचित्य शरजालेन प्रजहास धनंजय:,तब उस युद्धस्थलमें त्रिगर्तराज सूर्यव्माके सारे अंगोंमें बाण धँसाकर अर्जुन हँसने लगे

Transliteration

tatra trigartarājānaṃ sūryavarmāṇam āhave | vicitya śarajālena prajahāsa dhanañjayaḥ ||

Translation

Là, sur le champ de bataille, Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), ayant désigné le roi des Trigarta, Sūryavarman, et l’ayant couvert d’un filet de flèches, se mit à rire—marquant sa supériorité éclatante et le brusque retournement de la fortune guerrière.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• त्रिगर्तराजानम्: the king of the Trigartas
• त्रिगर्तराजानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिगर्तराज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सूर्यवर्माणम्: Sūryavarman (proper name)
• सूर्यवर्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्यवर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आहवे: in battle
• आहवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• विचित्य: having pierced, having struck through
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चि
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• शरजालेन: with a net/mass of arrows
• शरजालेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरजाल
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रजहास: laughed aloud
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हस्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धनंजयः: Dhanañjaya (Arjuna)
• धनंजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनंजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna (Dhanañjaya)
• Sūryavarman
• Trigarta king (Trigartarāja)
• battlefield (āhava)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the warrior ethic (kṣatriya-dharma): decisive skill and dominance in battle can quickly shift outcomes. It also implicitly cautions that martial confidence—here shown by Arjuna’s laughter—must remain aligned with disciplined conduct, since victory in war is ethically weighty and not merely a display of power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna identifies the Trigarta king Sūryavarman in the fight, showers him with so many arrows that it is likened to a ‘net of arrows,’ and then laughs, indicating Arjuna’s upper hand and the opponent’s being overwhelmed.