Shloka 18

Adhyāya 123 — Droṇa’s Pedagogy: Arjuna’s Preeminence, Ekalavya’s Self-Training, and the Bhāsa-Lakṣya Trial

Devanagari script

पतता तेन शतधा शिला गान्रैविंचूर्णिता । तां शिलां चूर्णितां दृष्टवा पाण्डुविस्मयमागत:

Transliteration

patatā tena śatadhā śilā gāndharvaivaṁ cūrṇitā | tāṁ śilāṁ cūrṇitāṁ dṛṣṭvā pāṇḍur vismayam āgataḥ ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അത് വീഴുമ്പോൾ തന്നെ, തന്റെ അംഗപ്രഹാരത്താൽ ആ പർവ്വതശിലയെ നൂറായി ചിതറി പൂർണ്ണമായി പൊടിച്ചു. കല്ലുപാളി പൊടിയായി മാറിയതു കണ്ട രാജാവ് പാണ്ഡു വിസ്മയത്തിൽ ആകുലനായി.

Word by Word

• पतता: by (him) falling / while falling
• पतता: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त, पुं, तृतीया, एकवचन

• तेन: by him / with him
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं, तृतीया, एकवचन

• शतधा: into a hundred pieces; manifoldly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शतधा (अव्यय)
• Form: true

• शिला: the rock/slab
• शिला: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला
• Form: स्त्री, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गिरैव: with a mountain indeed / by a mountain itself
• गिरैव: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि + एव
• Form: पुं, तृतीया, एकवचन, एव

• चूर्णिता: pulverized; crushed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चूर्णित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकर्मणि), स्त्री, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ताम्: that (rock) (acc.)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्री, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शिलाम्: rock/slab (acc.)
• शिलाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिला
• Form: स्त्री, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चूर्णिताम्: crushed (acc. fem.)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चूर्णित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकर्मणि), स्त्री, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (त्वान्त), true

• पाण्डु-विस्मयम्: Pandu's astonishment
• पाण्डु-विस्मयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु + विस्मय
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आगतः: came to; became; was seized by
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकालिक/परिणाम), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇḍu
• śilā (rock/slab)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how extraordinary force can produce unintended, alarming consequences; it invites reflection on restraint (dama) and responsible action, especially for a king whose power must remain aligned with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

A falling object/impact causes a rocky slab to be smashed into many pieces and reduced to powder. Witnessing this, King Pāṇḍu is filled with amazement, marking a dramatic moment in the forest narrative.