Shloka 29

Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness

Nivātakavaca engagement

Devanagari script

अर्णुर्ब॑हच्छिरा भूत्वा बृहच्चाणुशिरा: पुन: । एकीभूतस्तदा राजन्‌ सो<भ्यवर्तत मां युधि

Transliteration

arṇur bahacchirā bhūtvā bṛhaccāṇuśirāḥ punaḥ | ekībhūtastadā rājan so 'bhyavartata māṃ yudhi |

Translation

ອາຈຸນກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ພຣະຣາຊາ, ບາງຄັ້ງມັນກາຍເປັນຜູ້ມີກາຍນ້ອຍຫຼາຍ ແຕ່ຫົວໃຫຍ່ມະຫາສານ; ແລ້ວອີກຄັ້ງມັນຮັບຮູບກາຍໃຫຍ່ໂຕ ແຕ່ຫົວກັບເບິ່ງນ້ອຍ. ສຸດທ້າຍມັນຮວບຮວມຕົນເອງເປັນຮູບດຽວ ແລະບຸກເຂົ້າມາປະຈັນໜ້າຂ້ອຍໃນສົງຄາມ»។

Word by Word

• अर्णुः: Arṇu (proper name)
• अर्णुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बहत्-शिराः: having a large head
• बहत्-शिराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहत् + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भूत्वा: having become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here), Non-finite

• बृहत्-च-अणु-शिराः: having a huge body and a tiny head
• बृहत्-च-अणु-शिराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहत् + अणु + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• एकीभूतः: become one (single-formed)
• एकीभूतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकीभू (धातु) / एकीभूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अभ्यवर्तत: advanced against / confronted
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु) with अभि- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative, Singular, —

• युधि: in battle
• युधि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध् (प्रातिपदिक; noun)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• King (rājan; the listener addressed)
• Arṇuḥ (the opponent described)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights steadiness and discernment in conflict: even when an adversary changes form and creates confusion, a warrior must keep composure, assess the situation clearly, and respond with appropriate means rather than panic.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna reports to a king that his opponent repeatedly altered proportions—sometimes tiny-bodied with a huge head, sometimes huge-bodied with a tiny head—before finally consolidating into a single form and directly engaging Arjuna in battle.