Shloka 26

Devanagari script

तेषामतिव्याहरतां शस्त्रवर्ष प्रमुकचताम्‌ । प्रममाथोत्तमाड़्नि बीभत्सुर्निशितै: शरै:

Transliteration

teṣām ativyāharatāṁ śastravarṣa-pramucchatām | pramamāthottamāṅgāni bībhatsur niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ ||

Translation

ಅವರು ದೊಡ್ಡದಾಗಿ ದರ್ಪವಚನಗಳನ್ನು ಕೂಗಿ ಆಯುಧವರ್ಷವನ್ನು ಸುರಿಸಲು ಆರಂಭಿಸಿದರು. ಆಗ ಭೀಭತ್ಸು ಅರ್ಜುನನು ತನ್ನ ತೀಕ್ಷ್ಣ ಬಾಣಗಳಿಂದ ಅವರ ಅಗ್ರಗಣ್ಯರ ಶಿರಸ್ಸುಗಳನ್ನು ಛೇದಿಸಿ ಕೆಡವಿದನು.

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, plural

• अति-व्याहरताम्: while (they were) boasting/exclaiming excessively
• अति-व्याहरताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति + वि-आ-हृ (व्याहर्)
• Form: present (participle), plural, active, शतृ (present active participle), genitive, masculine

• शस्त्र-वर्षम्: a rain/shower of weapons
• शस्त्र-वर्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र + वर्ष
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• प्रमुञ्चताम्: while releasing/letting fly
• प्रमुञ्चताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + मुच्
• Form: present (participle), plural, active, शतृ (present active participle), genitive, masculine

• प्रममाथ: he crushed/struck down
• प्रममाथ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + मथ्
• Form: perfect, 3rd, singular, active

• उत्तम-अङ्गानि: their chief limbs (i.e., heads)
• उत्तम-अङ्गानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तम + अङ्ग
• Form: neuter, accusative, plural

• बीभत्सुः: Bībhatsu (Arjuna)
• बीभत्सुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीभत्सु (अर्जुन)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• निशितैः: with sharp
• निशितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशित
• Form: masculine/neuter, instrumental, plural

• शरैः: arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna (Bībhatsu)
• arrows (śara)
• weapons (śastra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts boastful aggression with disciplined martial efficacy: prideful display (ativyāhāra) and indiscriminate weapon-rain (śastravarṣa) are met by a warrior’s precise, decisive action. Ethically, it warns that arrogance in violence invites swift consequences, while skill and resolve determine outcomes in dharmic warfare.

What is happening in the narrative?

Opponents, shouting boasts, unleash a barrage of weapons. Arjuna (called Bībhatsu) responds by shooting keen arrows that strike down their heads—depicting a sudden turning of the fight through his superior archery.