Shloka 76

अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit

Devanagari script

आदिश्यादिश्य तेजस्वी शिरांस्येषां न्यपातयत्‌ | गान्धारोंके द्वारा रोके जानेपर भी तेजस्वी वीर पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुन उनके नाम ले-लेकर मस्तक काटने और गिराने लगे

Transliteration

ādiśyādiśya tejasvī śirāṃsy eṣāṃ nyapātayat | gāndhārāṅkena dvārā roke jānepar bhī tejasvī vīra pāṇḍunandana arjuna unke nāma le-lekara mastaka kāṭane aura girāne lage |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: The radiant hero kept pointing them out one by one and struck down their heads. Even when restrained by the Gandhāra prince, the mighty Pāṇḍu’s son Arjuna continued to call out their names and sever their heads, letting them fall—an image of relentless martial resolve that also raises the ethical tension between righteous punishment and uncontrolled fury in the aftermath of war.

Word by Word

• आदिश्य: having ordered
• आदिश्य: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√दिश्
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययः), परस्मैपदी (धात्वर्थतः), having ordered/commanded

• आदिश्य: having repeatedly ordered
• आदिश्य: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√दिश्
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वा-प्रत्ययः), परस्मैपदी (धात्वर्थतः), having ordered (again and again)

• तेजस्वी: the radiant/valiant one
• तेजस्वी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तेजस्विन्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शिरांसि: heads
• शिरांसि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस्
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• एषाम्: of these (men)
• एषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: पुं/नपुं (सामान्य), षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• न्यपातयत्: caused to fall / struck down
• न्यपातयत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि√पत् (णिच्)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna
• Pāṇḍu
• Gāndhāra (Gandhāran prince/figure)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the moral strain that can arise when martial duty turns into relentless vengeance: even a righteous warrior must be checked by restraint, otherwise justified punishment risks becoming uncontrolled violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna, blazing with power, identifies opponents one by one and cuts off their heads; although a Gandhāran figure tries to restrain him, Arjuna continues, calling them by name as he strikes.