Shloka 14

धृतराष्ट्रस्य क्रतु-प्रवर्तनम् तथा पाण्डवानां निमन्त्रण-प्रतिवचनम्

Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Sacrifice Commences and the Pandavas’ Reply to the Invitation

Devanagari script

पातयजन्नुत्तमाड्नि गन्धर्वाणां महारथ:

Transliteration

pātayajann uttamāḍni gandharvāṇāṃ mahārathaḥ

Translation

മഹാരഥൻ ഗന്ധർവന്മാരിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠരെ വീഴ്ത്തിക്കൊണ്ട്—

Word by Word

• पातयन्: causing to fall; striking down
• पातयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (पातयति-णिच्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त, परस्मैपदी (कर्तरि प्रयोग), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यजन्: worshipping; sacrificing
• यजन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त, परस्मैपदी (कर्तरि प्रयोग), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उत्तमान्: the best; excellent (ones)
• उत्तमान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• अग्नीन्: fires
• अग्नीन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• गन्धर्वाणाम्: of the Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वाणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व
• Form: पुं, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• महारथः: the great chariot-warrior
• महारथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Gandharvas
• mahāratha (unnamed great warrior)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya prowess and the gravity of violence: even when valor is praised, the ethical weight of striking down powerful beings remains part of the narrative’s dharmic tension.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a great warrior in active combat, felling the foremost Gandharvas—indicating an intense clash where the hero gains the upper hand.