Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ततो5शनिमुचो घोरांस्तडित्स्तनितनि:स्वनान्‌ | तद्विघातार्थमसृजदर्जुनो 5प्यस्त्रमुत्तमम्‌

Transliteration

tato ’śanimuco ghorāṁs taḍit-stanita-niḥsvanān | tad-vighātārtham asṛjad arjuno ’py astram uttamam vāyavyam ||

Translation

ನಂತರ ಮಿಂಚಿನ ಕಿರಣ ಮತ್ತು ಗುಡುಗಿನ ಘೋಷದಿಂದ ಭಯಂಕರವಾದ ಆ ಮೋಡಗಳು ಭೂಮಿಯ ಮೇಲೆ ವಜ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಸುರಿಸಲಾರಂಭಿಸಿದವು. ಆ ಆಕ್ರಮಣವನ್ನು ಪ್ರತಿಹತಗೊಳಿಸಲು ಅಸ್ತ್ರ-ಪ್ರತ್ಯಸ್ತ್ರವಿದ್ಯೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಪುಣನಾದ ಅರ್ಜುನನು ಮಂತ್ರಬಲದಿಂದ ಅಭಿಮಂತ್ರಿಸಿ ‘ವಾಯವ್ಯ’ ಎಂಬ ಉತ್ತಮ ಅಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಯೋಗಿಸಿದನು; ಅದರಿಂದ ಇಂದ್ರನ ವಜ್ರದ ಹಾಗೂ ಮೋಡಗಳ ತೇಜಸ್ಸು-ಬಲ ನಾಶವಾಯಿತು.

Word by Word

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

• अशनिमुचः: the thunderbolt-releaser (Indra)
• अशनिमुचः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशनिमुच्
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• घोरान्: terrible
• घोरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Masculine, accusative, plural

• तडित्स्तनितनिःस्वनान्: lightnings, thunderings, and roaring sounds
• तडित्स्तनितनिःस्वनान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडित् + स्तनित + निःस्वन
• Form: Masculine, accusative, plural

• तत्: that (those)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, accusative, singular

• विघातार्थम्: for the destruction (of them)
• विघातार्थम्: Prayojana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघात + अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, accusative, singular (used adverbially)

• असृजत्: released, discharged
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd person, singular, Parasmaipada

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि
• Form: Avyaya

• अस्त्रम्: weapon (missile)
• अस्त्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, accusative, singular

• उत्तमम्: excellent, supreme
• उत्तमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: Neuter, accusative, singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Arjuna
• Indra
• Vāyavya-astra
• aśani (vajra/thunderbolt)
• megha (storm-clouds)
• taḍit (lightning)
• stanita (thunder)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power must be matched with discernment: Arjuna does not respond with indiscriminate destruction but with a precise counter-weapon suited to neutralize the threat. The episode highlights disciplined mastery (astra-vidyā) and proportional response—strength guided by control.

What is happening in the narrative?

A violent storm—associated with Indra’s thunderbolt—assails the scene with lightning and thunder. Arjuna, competent in the lore of weapons and their counteractions, deploys the Vāyavya astra (wind-weapon) to disperse the clouds and nullify the thunderbolt’s power.