Shloka 28

Arjuna’s Account of Tapas and the Kirāta Test; Revelation of Maheśvara and the Grant of the Pāśupata-Astra

Devanagari script

ततः शक्ति गदां खड््‌गं धनुश्च॒ भरतर्षभ: । प्राध्वं कृत्वा नमश्नक्रे कुबेराय वृकोदर:

Transliteration

tataḥ śaktiṁ gadāṁ khaḍgaṁ dhanuś ca bharatarṣabhaḥ | prādhvaṁ kṛtvā namaś cakre kuberāya vṛkodaraḥ ||

Translation

त्यानंतर भरतश्रेष्ठ वृकोदर (भीम) याने शक्ति, गदा, खड्ग आणि धनुष्य बाजूला ठेवून यथोचित नमस्कार करून कुबेराला वंदन केले.

Word by Word

ततःthen/thereupon

शक्तिम्a spear/javelin

गदाम्a mace

खड्गम्a sword

धनुःa bow

चand

भरतर्षभःthe bull among the Bharatas (best of the Bharatas)

प्राध्वम्a respectful offering/tribute (honorary gift)

कृत्वाhaving made/done

नमःsalutation

चक्रेmade/did

कुबेरायto Kubera

वृकोदरःVṛkodara (Bhīma; 'wolf-bellied')

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vṛkodara (Bhīma)

Kubera

śakti (spear)

gadā (mace)

khaḍga (sword)

dhanuṣ (bow)

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?

Power should be governed by dharma: a warrior’s greatness includes humility, restraint, and reverence toward legitimate divine authority. Setting aside weapons before offering homage symbolizes self-control and ethical conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Bhīma (Vṛkodara) lays aside his weapons—spear, mace, sword, and bow—and then respectfully bows to Kubera, indicating a formal, reverential approach rather than a confrontational one.