Shloka 8

Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 137 — Bhīṣma–Droṇa Counsel and the Ethics of Restraint

Devanagari script

दानवा घोरकर्माणो निवातकवचा युधि । रौद्रमस्त्रं समादाय दग्धा वानरकेतुना,“कपिथध्वज अर्जुनने युद्धमें भयंकर कर्म करनेवाले निवातकवच नामक दानवोंको रुद्रदेवतासम्बन्धी पाशुपत अस्त्र लेकर दग्ध कर डाला था

Transliteration

dānavā ghorakarmāṇo nivātakavacā yudhi | raudram astraṃ samādāya dagdhā vānaraketuṇā ||

Translation

ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ໃນສົງຄາມ ພວກດານະວະທີ່ເອີ້ນວ່າ ນິວາຕະກະວະຈະ—ຜູ້ກະທໍາກຳອັນນ່າສະພຶງກົວ—ຖືກອາຈຸນ ຜູ້ມີທຸງຮູບວານອນ ເຜົາຜານໃນສະໜາມຮົບ ເມື່ອລາວຍົກອາວຸດອັນດຸຮ້າຍທີ່ສຳພັນກັບຣຸດຣະຂຶ້ນໃຊ້.

Word by Word

दानवाःdemons (Dānavas)

घोरकर्माणःof dreadful deeds

निवातकवचाःthe Nivātakavaca (demons)

युधिin battle

रौद्रम्Rudra-related, fierce

अस्त्रम्weapon (missile)

समादायhaving taken up

दग्धाःburnt, consumed

वानरकेतुनाby him whose banner is a monkey (Arjuna)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Arjuna (Vānaraketu/Kapidhvaja)

Nivātakavacas

Dānavas

Raudra astra (Rudra-related weapon, associated with Pāśupata tradition)

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 underscores that overwhelming force—especially divine weaponry—must be understood as a disciplined, purpose-bound power. Even terrifying adversaries fall when confronted by rightly directed, mastered strength rather than uncontrolled fury.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana recalls a past exploit of Arjuna: in a battle against the Dānavas known as the Nivātakavacas, Arjuna (identified by his monkey-banner) employed a fierce Rudra-associated weapon and burned them down.