Shloka 2

और्वकृत-क्रोधाग्नि-निग्रहः

Aurva’s Containment of the Wrath-Fire

Devanagari script

तपती नाम का चैषा तापत्या यत्कृते वयम्‌ । कौन्तेया हि वयं साधो तत्त्वमिच्छामि वेदितुम्‌,साधुस्वभाव गन्धर्वराज! यह तपती कौन है, जिसके कारण हमलोग तापत्य कहलाते हैं? हम तो अपनेको कुन्तीका पुत्र समझते हैं। अतः “तापत्य” का यथार्थ रहस्य क्या है, यह जाननेकी मुझे बड़ी इच्छा हो रही है

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca | tapatī nāma kā caiṣā tapatyā yatkṛte vayam | kaunteyā hi vayaṃ sādho tattvam icchāmi veditum |

Translation

Arjuna said: “Who is this woman named Tapatī, on whose account we are called ‘Tāpatyas’? We are known as the sons of Kuntī. Therefore, O noble one, I wish to know the true meaning and origin of this designation ‘Tāpatya’.”

Word by Word

• {'arjuna uvāca': 'Arjuna said', 'tapatī': 'Tapatī (a proper name

• traditionally the daughter of Sūrya, associated with the Tāpatya lineage)', 'nāma': 'by name

• named', 'kā': 'who?', 'ca': 'and', 'eṣā': 'this (woman/person)', 'tapatyā': 'because of/through Tapatī

• instrumental singular', 'yat-kṛte': 'for whose sake

• on account of which', 'vayam': 'we', 'kaunteyāḥ': 'sons/descendants of Kuntī (Kuntī’s offspring)

• nominative plural', 'hi': 'indeed

• for', 'sādho': 'O good/noble one (vocative address)', 'tattvam': 'truth

• the true account', 'icchāmi': 'I desire

• I wish', 'veditum': 'to know

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Tapatī
• Kuntī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the importance of knowing one’s true lineage and the correct meaning of inherited titles. Arjuna’s respectful inquiry models intellectual humility: names and epithets in the epic often preserve ethical and historical memory, so understanding them is part of understanding dharma and identity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna addresses a noble interlocutor and asks who Tapatī is, since the group is being called ‘Tāpatya’ (connected with Tapatī), even though they are commonly known as ‘Kaunteyas’ (sons of Kuntī). He requests the authentic explanation behind this alternate designation.