Shloka 18

Mahāpārśva-vadhaḥ — The Slaying of Mahāpārśva

Angada’s Counterstrike

Devanagari script

तंम्तैलधौतंविमलंशैलसारमयंदृढम् ।।।।राक्षसःपरमक्रुद्धोवालिपुत्रेन्यपातयत् ।

Transliteration

taṃ tailadhautaṃ vimalaṃ śailasāramayaṃ dṛḍham |

rākṣasaḥ paramakruddho vāliputre nyapātayat ||

Translation

എണ്ണയിൽ കഴുകി മിനുക്കിയ, നിർമ്മലവും മലശിലാസാരത്തെപ്പോലെ കഠിനവും ദൃഢവുമായ ആ പരശുവിനെ പരമക്രുദ്ധനായ രാക്ഷസൻ വാലിപുത്രന്റെ മേൽ എറിഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• तेन: by that/with that
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वामांसफलके: on the left shoulder-blade
• वामांसफलके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाम-अंस-फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समास: षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-तत्पुरुष (वामे अंसे फलके)

• भृशम्: violently, greatly
• भृशम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• प्रत्यवपादितम्: repelled/struck back
• प्रत्यवपादितम्: Karma-dharma (कर्मधर्म/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति-अव-√पद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘struck back/repelled’ (परश्वधम् इति कर्मविशेषण)

• अङ्गदः: Aṅgada
• अङ्गदः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्गद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• मोक्ष्यामास: released/let go
• मोक्ष्यामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘released/let go’

• सरोषः: full of fury
• सरोषः: Karta-dharma (कर्तृधर्म/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-रोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समास: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (रोषेण सह)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• परश्वधम्: the axe
• परश्वधम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परश्वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

Context

Extremely enraged Rakshasa, hurled at Vali's son that axe that was cleansed with oil, the clean strong axe that was like feet of a mountain.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāpārśva
• Aṅgada
• Vāli

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

The text shows how rage seeks to maximize injury; Dharma’s counter-teaching is that strength must be governed by righteousness and proportionate response.

What is the narrative situation?

Mahāpārśva retaliates by throwing a heavy axe at Aṅgada.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Implicitly, the needed virtue is viveka (discernment) in combat—choosing action without being driven by blind fury.