Shloka 16

Āraṇyaka-parva, Adhyāya 17 — Śālva’s encampment and the Yādava counter-engagement at Dvārakā

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्याभारत वनपर्वके अन्तर्गत अर्जुनाथिगमनपर्वमें सौभवधोपाख्यानविषयक सोलहवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ,तमापतन्तं बाणौघं स चिच्छेद महाबल: । ततश्चान्याछ्छरान्‌ दीप्तान्‌ प्रचिक्षेप सुते मम महाबली प्रद्युम्नने उन बाणोंको आते ही काट गिराया। तत्पश्चात्‌ शाल्वने मेरे पुत्रपर और भी बहुत-से प्रज्वलित बाण छोड़े

Transliteration

tam āpatantaṃ bāṇaughaṃ sa ciccheda mahābalaḥ | tataś cānyāñ charān dīptān pracikṣepa sute mama ||

Translation

ಧಾವಿಸಿ ಬರುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಆ ಬಾಣಗಳ ಪ್ರವಾಹವನ್ನು ಮಹಾಬಲನು ಮಧ್ಯದಲ್ಲೇ ಕತ್ತರಿಸಿ ಕೆಡವಿದನು; ನಂತರ ನನ್ನ ಮಗನ ಮೇಲೆ ಇನ್ನೂ ದೀಪ್ತವಾದ ಬಾಣಗಳನ್ನು ಎಸೆದನು।

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'āpatantam', 'definition': 'coming/falling upon

• rushing toward (accusative singular, present participle)'}, {'term': 'bāṇaugham', 'definition': 'a flood/stream/volley of arrows'}, {'term': 'ciccheda', 'definition': 'cut, severed, broke (perfect of √chid)'}, {'term': 'mahābalaḥ / mahābalī', 'definition': 'one of great strength

• a mighty warrior'}, {'term': 'tataḥ', 'definition': 'then

• thereafter'}, {'term': 'anyān', 'definition': 'other

• additional (arrows)'}, {'term': 'śarān', 'definition': 'arrows'}, {'term': 'dīptān', 'definition': 'blazing, flaming, radiant (often implying fire-tipped or shining weapons)'}, {'term': 'pracikṣepa', 'definition': 'threw, launched, discharged (aorist of √kṣip with pra-)'}, {'term': 'sute mama', 'definition': "upon my son (locative sense implied by context

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva
• Pradyumna
• Śālva
• bāṇa (arrows)
• bāṇaugha (volley of arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights kṣatriya-dharma in practice: meeting aggression with alertness, skill, and composure. Cutting down an incoming volley symbolizes disciplined defense, while the counter-attack suggests controlled retaliation rather than panic—an ethical ideal of steadiness and competence amid conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

A powerful warrior (identified in the surrounding narration as Pradyumna) intercepts and cuts apart a rushing mass of arrows. He then launches additional blazing arrows at the opponent (Śālva), escalating the exchange of missiles in the battle episode.