Shloka 7

वज्रदत्तेन सह अर्जुनयुद्धम्

Arjuna’s engagement with Vajradatta during the Aśvamedha circuit

Devanagari script

पाण्डुरेणातपत्रेण प्रियमाणेन मूर्थनि । दोधूयता चामरेण श्वेतेन च महारथ:,उसने मस्तकपर श्वेत छत्र धारण कर रखा था। सेवक श्वेत चवँर खुला रहे थे। पाण्डव महारथी पार्थके पास पहुँचकर उस महारथी नरेशने बालचापल्य और मूर्खताके कारण उन्हें युद्धके लिये ललकारा

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

pāṇḍureṇātapatreṇa priyamāṇena mūrdhani |

dodhūyatā cāmareṇa śvetena ca mahārathaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Le grand guerrier de char était honoré d’un pâle parasol royal tenu au-dessus de sa tête, et d’un chasse-mouches blanc en queue de yak qu’on agitait. Ainsi servi comme un roi, il s’approcha de Pārtha (Arjuna) ; pourtant, par témérité enfantine et sottise, ce souverain défia le héros Pāṇḍava au combat.

Word by Word

पाण्डुरेणwith a pale/whitish

आतपत्रेणumbrella/parasol

प्रियमाणेनbeing held/used (lit. being made pleasing/being attended to)

मूर्धनिon the head

दोधूयताwaving/shaking

चand

चामरेणwith a yak-tail fan (chowrie)

श्वेतेनwhite

चand

महारथःthe great chariot-warrior

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pārtha (Arjuna)

Pāṇḍava (collective reference)

ātapatra (royal parasol)

cāmara (yak-tail fan)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

External marks of kingship—parasol, attendants, ceremonial honor—do not guarantee inner wisdom. When pride and childish impulsiveness govern a ruler, he may rush toward unjust conflict, revealing a gap between appearance and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

A celebrated warrior-king, attended with a white parasol and a white cāmara fan, approaches Pārtha (Arjuna). Despite the royal display, he behaves rashly and challenges the Pāṇḍava hero to fight.