Shloka 20

Kubera-prasāda-vihāra and Counsel on Ajñātavāsa (कुबेरप्रसादविहारः तथा अज्ञातवासोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

ततो मां प्रहसन्‌ राजन्‌ मातलि: प्रत्यभाषत । नैतदर्जुन देवेषु त्वयि वीर्य यदीक्ष्यते,तब मातलिने हँसते हुए मुझसे कहा--“अर्जुन! तुममें जो पराक्रम दिखायी देता है, वह देवताओं में भी नहीं है”

Transliteration

tato māṃ prahasan rājan mātaliḥ pratyabhāṣata | naitad arjuna deveṣu tvayi vīryaṃ yad īkṣyate ||

Translation

Then, O King, Mātali—smiling—addressed me: “Arjuna, the valor that is seen in you is not found even among the gods.” In this moment the charioteer’s praise underscores a moral ideal in the epic: true heroism is not mere force, but steadfast courage and excellence directed toward righteous purpose.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Gender: —, Case: Accusative, Number: Singular

• प्रहसन्: laughing, smiling
• प्रहसन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हस् (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Gender: Masculine, Case: Nominative, Number: Singular

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Gender: Masculine, Case: Vocative, Number: Singular

• मातलिः: Mātali (Indra’s charioteer)
• मातलिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातलि
• Form: Gender: Masculine, Case: Nominative, Number: Singular

• प्रत्यभाषत: spoke to (me), replied
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-भाष् (धातु)
• Form: Tense: Imperfect (लङ्), Person: 3rd, Number: Singular, Voice: Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: Avyaya (negation)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Gender: Neuter, Case: Nominative, Number: Singular

• अर्जुन: O Arjuna
• अर्जुन: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Gender: Masculine, Case: Vocative, Number: Singular

• देवेषु: among the gods
• देवेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Gender: Masculine, Case: Locative, Number: Plural

• त्वयि: in you
• त्वयि: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Gender: —, Case: Locative, Number: Singular

• वीर्यम्: valor, prowess
• वीर्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर्य
• Form: Gender: Neuter, Case: Nominative, Number: Singular

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि
• Form: Avyaya (conditional)

• ईक्ष्यते: is seen, is observed
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: Tense: Present (लट्), Person: 3rd, Number: Singular, Voice: Ātmanepada (passive sense: 'is seen')

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Mātali
• King (listener addressed as rājan)
• Devas (the gods)