Shloka 17

Devanagari script

प्रच्छन्न॑ चापि धर्मज्ञ हरिणारिविनिग्रहे । वज्ज प्रविश्य शक्रस्य यत्‌ कृतं तच्च ते श्रुतम्‌

Transliteration

pracchannaṃ cāpi dharmajña hariṇārivinigrāhe | vajraṃ praviśya śakrasya yat kṛtaṃ tac ca te śrutam ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : «Ô connaisseur du dharma, tu as aussi entendu parler de cet acte accompli pour la destruction des ennemis de Hari : comment, en secret, il entra dans le vajra, la foudre-arme d’Indra, et y mena son dessein à terme.»

Word by Word

• प्रच्छन्नम्: hidden, in concealment
• प्रच्छन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रच्छन्न (√छद्)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• धर्मज्ञ: O knower of dharma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• हरिणा: by Hari (Vishnu)
• हरिणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अरि-विनिग्रहे: in the subduing/destruction of enemies
• अरि-विनिग्रहे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरिविनिग्रह
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• वज्रम्: the thunderbolt (vajra)
• वज्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रविश्य: having entered
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√विश्
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• शक्रस्य: of Shakra (Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• यत्: which (deed)
• यत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कृतम्: done, performed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृत (√कृ)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• ते: of you / to you (your)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Second, Genitive, Singular

• श्रुतम्: heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रुत (√श्रु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Hari (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• Śakra (Indra)
• Vajra (Indra’s thunderbolt)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that dharma may be upheld not only through open force but also through strategic, concealed action when the aim is the protection of the world and the restraint of hostile, unrighteous powers—especially when guided by divine wisdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reminds the listener of a well-known divine episode: Hari, acting covertly, enters Indra’s vajra and thereby accomplishes the destruction or subjugation of enemies—an allusion to divine strategy in mythic conflict.