Shloka 3

श्रीमद्‌ धनुरुपादाय शरांश्चवाशीविषोपमान्‌ । निष्पपात महावेगो दहनो देहवानिव,वे एक शोभायमान धनुष और सर्पोके समान विषाक्त बाण लेकर बड़े वेगसे चले। मानो साक्षात्‌ अग्निदेव ही देह धारण करके निकले हों

śrīmad dhanuḥ upādāya śarāṃś ca āśīviṣopamān | niṣpapāta mahāvego dahano dehavān iva ||

Ia mengangkat busur yang gemilang dan anak panah yang berbisa laksana ular mematikan; lalu melompat maju dengan kecepatan dahsyat—seperti Dewa Api sendiri yang menjelma berwujud dan menerjang.

श्रीमद्splendid, glorious
श्रीमद्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootश्रीमन्त्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
धनुःbow
धनुः:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootधनुस्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
उपादायhaving taken up
उपादाय:
TypeVerb
Rootउप-आ-दा
Formल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), prior action (having taken)
शरान्arrows
शरान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootशर
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
आशीविषोपमान्comparable to venomous serpents
आशीविषोपमान्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootआशीविष-उपम
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
निष्पपातleapt forth, sprang out
निष्पपात:
TypeVerb
Rootनि-षद्/पत् (idiomatically: नि-√पत्)
Formलिट् (perfect), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada
महावेगःone of great speed/impetus
महावेगः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootमहावेग
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
दहनःfire (Agni)
दहनः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदहन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
देहवान्embodied, having a body
देहवान्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootदेहवत्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
इवas if, like
इव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइव

वैशम्पायन उवाच

V
Vaiśampāyana
B
bow (dhanuḥ)
A
arrows (śarāḥ)
V
venomous serpents (āśīviṣāḥ)
F
Fire/Agni (dahanaḥ)

Educational Q&A

The verse underscores how martial power, once taken up, becomes a force like fire—swift, consuming, and difficult to contain. Ethically, it hints that strength must be governed by discernment; otherwise it can scorch both the target and the moral order surrounding the act.

A warrior (implicitly understood from context) arms himself with a splendid bow and deadly arrows and rushes forward at great speed. The narrator intensifies the scene by comparing him to embodied Fire (Agni), signaling imminent, potentially devastating action.