Shloka 157

समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः

Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī

Devanagari script

गमन॑ काम्यके चापि व्यासे प्रतिगते ततः । अस्त्रहेतोर्विवासक्ष पार्थस्यामिततेजस:,व्यासजीके चले जानेपर पाण्डवोंने काम्यकवनकी यात्रा की। इसके बाद अमिततेजस्वी अर्जुन अस्त्र प्राप्त करनेके लिये अपने भाइयोंसे अलग चले गये

Transliteration

gamanaṁ kāmyake cāpi vyāse pratigate tataḥ | astrāhetor vivāsakṣa pārthasyāmitatejasaḥ ||

Translation

व्यासजी परत गेल्यावर पांडव काम्यकवनाकडे निघाले. त्यानंतर अमिततेजस्वी पार्थ (अर्जुन) अस्त्रप्राप्तीसाठी भावांपासून वेगळा होऊन एकाकी वनवासास गेला.

Word by Word

गमनम्journey, going

काम्यकेin/at (the forest) Kāmyaka

चand

अपिalso

व्यासेwhen/while Vyāsa (was present); in the presence of Vyāsa

प्रतिगतेhaving departed/returned (when he had gone away)

ततःthen, thereafter

अस्त्र-हेतोःfor the sake of weapons (as the reason/purpose)

विवासकःone who goes away to dwell elsewhere; an exile/departing one

पार्थस्यof Pārtha (Arjuna)

अमित-तेजसःof the one of immeasurable splendor

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Kāmyaka forest

Pārtha (Arjuna)

Pāṇḍavas

Astra (divine weapons)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma sometimes requires disciplined separation and personal austerity for a higher responsibility: Arjuna’s choice to leave his brothers is not abandonment but ethical preparation—acquiring strength and capability to protect righteousness when conflict becomes unavoidable.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the sage Vyāsa leaves, the Pāṇḍavas travel to the Kāmyaka forest. Arjuna (Pārtha), renowned for immeasurable prowess, then departs from his brothers to pursue the acquisition of powerful weapons (astras), indicating a deliberate step toward future challenges.