Shloka 5
अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit
Devanagari script
ततः शिरांसि दीप्ताग्रैस्तेषां चिच्छेद पाण्डव:
Transliteration
tataḥ śirāṃsi dīptāgrais teṣāṃ ciccheda pāṇḍavaḥ
Translation
അതിനുശേഷം പാണ്ഡവൻ ദീപ്താഗ്രമായ ആയുധങ്ങളാൽ അവരുടെ ശിരസ്സുകൾ ഛേദിച്ചു.
Word by Word
ततःthen, thereafter
ततः:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
Formअव्ययम्
शिरांसिheads
शिरांसि:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootशिरस्
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन
दीप्ताग्रैःwith sharp/bright-pointed (weapons)
दीप्ताग्रैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootदीप्ताग्र
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन
तेषाम्of them
तेषाम्:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formपुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन
चिच्छेदcut off, severed
चिच्छेद:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootछिद्
Formलिट् (परस्मैपद), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
पाण्डवःthe Pandava (Arjuna/Yudhishthira etc., context-dependent)
पाण्डवः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपाण्डव
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन
Speaker
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Characters & Entities
व
वैशम्पायन (Vaiśampāyana)प
पाण्डव (a Pāṇḍava warrior)W
weapons with blazing points (dīptāgra-śastra implied)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the harsh reality of kṣatriya action in wartime: decisive force may be exercised as part of one’s role, yet it simultaneously exposes the moral weight and tragic cost of violence.
Vaiśampāyana reports that a Pāṇḍava strikes with sharp, blazing-pointed weapons and cuts off the heads of certain opponents, marking a moment of intense combat and swift defeat.