Shloka 73

Devanagari script

अणी कृत्वैलपत्रं च पुष्पदन्तं च ऋयम्बक: । यूपं कृत्वा तु मलयमवनाहं च तक्षकम्‌

Transliteration

aṇī kṛtvailapatraṃ ca puṣpadantaṃ ca ṛyambakaḥ | yūpaṃ kṛtvā tu malayamavanāhaṃ ca takṣakam ||

Translation

ವ್ಯಾಸನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಋಯಂಬಕ (ಶಿವ) ಅಣಿ (ತೀಕ್ಷ್ಣ ಅಗ್ರಭಾಗ) ಯನ್ನೂ, ಎಲಪತ್ರನನ್ನೂ ಮತ್ತು ಪುಷ್ಪದಂತನನ್ನೂ ರೂಪಿಸಿದನು; ಯೂಪವನ್ನಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿ ಮಲಯ, ಅವನಾಹ ಮತ್ತು ತಕ್ಷಕನನ್ನೂ ತದನುಗುಣವಾಗಿ ನಿಯೋಜಿಸಿದನು.

Word by Word

अणीम्a needle/point (as an object made)

कृत्वाhaving made

इलपत्रम्a leaf of the ilā-tree (as an object made)

चand

पुष्पदन्तम्Pushpadanta (proper name)

चand

त्र्यम्बकःTryambaka (proper name; lit. three-eyed)

यूपम्a sacrificial post

कृत्वाhaving made

तुbut/indeed

मलयम्Malaya (mountain/region; sandalwood-bearing)

अवनाहम्Avanāha (proper name)

चand

तक्षकम्Takṣaka (proper name; serpent)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Ṛ

Ṛyambaka

Puṣpadanta

Yūpa

Malaya

Avanāha

Takṣaka

Elapatra

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights intentional making and preparation—how constructed instruments and named agents can become channels through which larger outcomes occur. In Mahābhārata’s ethical frame, such ‘making’ implies responsibility: actions (and the means created for them) participate in the chain of consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa narrates a list of items/beings that Ṛyambaka ‘made’—including a pointed implement, a leaf-like form, Puṣpadanta, a sacrificial post (yūpa), and entities named Malaya, Avanāha, and Takṣaka—suggesting a catalogue of crafted forms relevant to the surrounding account.