Mahabharata 3.20.40 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 20, Shloka 40

Śālva–Pradyumna Yuddha: Sārathya-kauśala, Astra-pratikāra, Daiva-niyati

Chapter 20

Devanagari script

ततो नाज्ञायत तदा दिवारात्र तथा दिशः । ततो<हं मोहमापतन्न: प्रज्ञास्त्रं समयोजयम्‌

Transliteration

tato nājñāyata tadā divārātraṃ tathā diśaḥ | tato 'haṃ moham āpatan naḥ prajñāstraṃ samayojayam |

Translation

ಆಗ ಅದು ಹಗಲೋ ರಾತ್ರಿಯೋ ತಿಳಿಯಲಿಲ್ಲ; ದಿಕ್ಕುಗಳ ಜ್ಞಾನವೂ ಇರಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಆ ಮೋಹಕ್ಕೆ ಒಳಗಾಗಿ ನಾನು ಪ್ರಜ್ಞಾಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಯೋಗಿಸಿದೆನು.

Word by Word

• ततः: then; thereupon; from that (cause)
• ततः: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (पञ्चमी-अर्थे)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अज्ञायत: was known; was understood
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (अवगमने)
• Form: लङ् (भूत), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• तदा: at that time
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय

• दिवा: day (daytime)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव्/दिवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः)

• रात्रिः: night
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तथा: thus; likewise; also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय

• दिशः: directions
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक: दिश्/दिशा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ततः: thereupon; from that (cause)
• ततः: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: अव्यय (पञ्चमी-अर्थे)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मोहम्: delusion; bewilderment
• मोहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आपतन्: fell into; came upon (delusion)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आपद् (गत्यर्थे/आपत्तौ)
• Form: लङ् (भूत), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• प्रज्ञा-अस्त्रम्: the Prajñā-weapon (weapon named Prajñā)
• प्रज्ञा-अस्त्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक) + अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समयोजयम्: I yoked/aimed; I set in motion (discharged)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (योजने) उपसर्ग: सम्
• Form: लङ् (भूत), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

वासुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva (speaker)
• Prajñāstra

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When perception and orientation collapse (moha), the ethical imperative is to restore discernment rather than act blindly; power should be used to re-establish clarity and right order, not to intensify confusion.

What is happening in the narrative?

A situation becomes so obscuring that even day versus night and the directions cannot be recognized. Vāsudeva says he was overtaken by bewilderment and therefore deployed the Prajñāstra, a countermeasure meant to bring back clarity amid the disorienting conditions.