Shloka 7

वज्रदत्तेन सह अर्जुनयुद्धम्

Arjuna’s engagement with Vajradatta during the Aśvamedha circuit

Devanagari script

पाण्डुरेणातपत्रेण प्रियमाणेन मूर्थनि । दोधूयता चामरेण श्वेतेन च महारथ:,उसने मस्तकपर श्वेत छत्र धारण कर रखा था। सेवक श्वेत चवँर खुला रहे थे। पाण्डव महारथी पार्थके पास पहुँचकर उस महारथी नरेशने बालचापल्य और मूर्खताके कारण उन्हें युद्धके लिये ललकारा

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

pāṇḍureṇātapatreṇa priyamāṇena mūrdhani |

dodhūyatā cāmareṇa śvetena ca mahārathaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: The great chariot-warrior was being honored with a pale-white royal parasol held above his head, and with a white yak-tail fan being waved. Thus attended like a king, he approached Pārtha (Arjuna); yet, out of childish rashness and folly, that ruler challenged the Pāṇḍava hero to battle—an image of how outward royal splendor can mask inner immaturity and adharma-driven aggression.

Word by Word

• पाण्डुरेण: with a pale/whitish
• पाण्डुरेण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाण्डुर
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• आतपत्रेण: umbrella/parasol
• आतपत्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतपत्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रियमाणेन: being held/used (lit. being made pleasing/being attended to)
• प्रियमाणेन: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular, Present passive participle (शानच्), agreeing with आतपत्रेण

• मूर्धनि: on the head
• मूर्धनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• दोधूयता: waving/shaking
• दोधूयता: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: धू
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular, Present active participle (शतृ), agreeing with (सेवकेन/परिचारकेन) implied

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

• चामरेण: with a yak-tail fan (chowrie)
• चामरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चामर
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• श्वेतेन: white
• श्वेतेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• महारथः: the great chariot-warrior
• महारथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Pāṇḍava (collective reference)
• ātapatra (royal parasol)
• cāmara (yak-tail fan)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

External marks of kingship—parasol, attendants, ceremonial honor—do not guarantee inner wisdom. When pride and childish impulsiveness govern a ruler, he may rush toward unjust conflict, revealing a gap between appearance and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

A celebrated warrior-king, attended with a white parasol and a white cāmara fan, approaches Pārtha (Arjuna). Despite the royal display, he behaves rashly and challenges the Pāṇḍava hero to fight.