Shloka 27

Devanagari script

एष चापि मया जसन्तुर्मगरूपं समाश्रित: । राक्षसो निहतो घोरो हन्तुं मामिह चागत:,यह प्राणी हिंसक पशुका रूप धारण करके मुझे ही मारनेके लिये यहाँ आया था, अतः इस भयंकर राक्षसको मैंने मार गिराया है

Transliteration

eṣa cāpi mayā jasantur-magarūpaṃ samāśritaḥ | rākṣaso nihato ghoro hantuṃ mām iha cāgataḥ ||

Translation

Arjuna berkata: “Rākṣasa yang mengerikan ini, bernama Jasantu, telah mengambil wujud buaya dan datang ke sini untuk membunuhku. Maka aku menjatuhkan dan membinasakan makhluk yang keji itu.”

Word by Word

एषःthis (one)

चand

अपिalso

मयाby me

जसन्तुःJasantu (proper name)

मगरूपम्crocodile-form

समाश्रितःhaving assumed / having taken refuge in

राक्षसःthe demon

निहतःslain

घोरःterrible

हन्तुम्to kill

माम्me

इहhere

चand

आगतःhaving come

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Jasantu

Rākṣasa

Makara/Magara (crocodile-form)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames violence within dharma: when a malicious aggressor (rākṣasa) comes to kill, a kṣatriya’s duty includes protecting oneself and others. Slaying the violent attacker is presented as justified self-defense rather than cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna reports that a fearsome rākṣasa named Jasantu approached him with intent to kill, disguising himself in a crocodile-like form. Arjuna therefore killed the rākṣasa and explains the reason for the act.