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Shloka 2036

Yuddha-yajña-vyākhyāna (The Battle as Sacrifice): Ambarīṣa–Indra Saṃvāda

संख्यासमयविस्तीर्णमभिजातोद्धवं बहु । उज्ज्वल और तेज धारवाले

saṅkhyāsamaya-vistīrṇam abhijātodbhavaṃ bahu | ujjvalaṃ ca tejo-dhārāvantaṃ samantato loha-mayaṃ tathā tīkṣṇaṃ prāsa-śakti-ṛṣṭi-paraśv-ādi astrāṇi śastrāṇi ca yair āghātaḥ kriyate, tad eva tasya yuddha-yajñasya bahu-saṅkhyakaṃ dīrgha-kāla-sādhyaṃ kulīna-puruṣa-saṅgṛhītaṃ nānā-vidhaṃ dravyam ||

アンバリーシャは言った。「その戦の供犠(戦祭)における多種多様な『供物』とは、打撃を加えるための武器・飛び道具である。光り輝き、炎のごとく冴え、鋭い刃を備え、ことごとく鉄で作られた槍、長槍、投槍、斧などがそれだ。その数の多さ、長きにわたる準備、そして高貴な家柄の男たちによって集められたこと—それがあの凄惨な儀礼の広大な装備となる。」

saṅkhyānumber; enumeration
saṅkhyā:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootsaṅkhyā
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
samayatime; period
samaya:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootsamaya
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
vistīrṇamspread out; extensive
vistīrṇam:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootvistīrṇa (√stṛ)
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
abhijātawell-born; noble
abhijāta:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootabhijāta
FormMasculine/Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
uddhavamraising up; upheaval (sense uncertain in context)
uddhavam:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootuddhava
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
bahumuch; many
bahu:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootbahu
FormNeuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

अम्बरीष उवाच

A
Ambarīṣa
Y
yuddha-yajña
P
prāsa
Ś
śakti
ṛṣṭi
P
paraśu
A
astra
Ś
śastra
L
loha (iron)

Educational Q&A

The passage frames warfare as a ‘sacrifice’ whose requisites are weapons and martial resources, highlighting how violence can be ritually and socially justified; ethically, it invites reflection on the cost, preparation, and moral burden of treating war like a sacred rite.

Ambarīṣa describes the components of a metaphorical war-sacrifice: numerous iron weapons—spears, lances, javelins, axes, and other arms—used to strike opponents, emphasizing their abundance, sharpness, and the long effort by which noble warriors accumulate them.