Shloka 15

Devanagari script

श्वेता: काउ्चनसंनाहा रथे युज्यन्ति मे हया: । संग्रामे युध्यमानस्य तेनाहं श्वेतवाहन:,संग्राममें युद्ध करते समय मेरे रथमें सोनेके बख्तरसे सजे हुए श्वेत रंगके घोड़े जोते जाते हैं, इसलिये मेरा नाम “श्वेतवाहन” हुआ है तथा हिमालयके शिखरपर उत्तराफाल्गुनी नक्षत्रमें दिनके समय मेरा जन्म हुआ था; इसलिये मुझे 'फाल्गुन” कहते हैं

Transliteration

śvetāḥ kāñcanasaṃnāhā rathe yujyanti me hayāḥ | saṃgrāme yudhyamānasya tenāhaṃ śvetavāhanaḥ ||

Translation

Arjuna dit : «Quand je combats dans la mêlée, mes chevaux, blancs et revêtus d’une armure d’or, sont attelés à mon char. Ainsi, lorsque je me bats, on me connaît sous le nom de “Śvetavāhana”, celui dont le char est tiré par des coursiers blancs.»

Word by Word

श्वेताःwhite

काञ्चनसंनाहाःhaving golden armor/harness

रथेin the chariot

युज्यन्तिare yoked / are harnessed

मेmy

हयाःhorses

संग्रामेin battle

युध्यमानस्यof (me) fighting

तेनtherefore / by that

अहम्I

श्वेतवाहनःone whose vehicle (horses/chariot) is white; 'White-charioted'

Speaker

अर्जुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

chariot (ratha)

white horses (śvetāḥ hayāḥ)

golden armor/harness (kāñcanasaṃnāha)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how a warrior’s public identity (name/epithet) is grounded in visible conduct and attributes on the battlefield—signs that reinforce reputation, responsibility, and the kṣatriya ethos of standing firm in combat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is speaking and explaining the origin of his epithet ‘Śvetavāhana’: because his chariot is drawn by white horses equipped with golden harness/armor, he is known by that name when he fights in battle.