Mahabharata 7.175.38 — Drona Parva, Adhyaya 175, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

दीप्यमाना महोल्केव तिष्ठत्यस्य हि वासवी । त्वदर्थ हि महाबाहों सूतपुत्रेण संयुगे

Transliteration

dīpyamānā maholkeva tiṣṭhatyasya hi vāsavī | tvadartha hi mahābāhoṃ sūtaputreṇa saṃyuge

Translation

Vāyu berkata: “Vāsavī (senjata/kuasa ilahi Indra) ada padanya, menyala seperti meteor besar. Wahai yang berlengan perkasa, ia disimpan di sana demi dirimu—untuk digunakan dalam pertempuran melawan putera sūta itu (Karna).”

Word by Word

• दीप्यमाना: shining, blazing
• दीप्यमाना: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप् (धातु) → दीप्यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• महा-उल्का-इव: like a great meteor/firebrand
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: महत् + उल्का + इव
• Form: true

• तिष्ठति: stands, remains
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन

• अस्य: of him/this (his)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि
• Form: true

• वासवी: Vāsavī (Indra’s consort; Śacī)
• वासवी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासवी (इन्द्रपत्नी/शची; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• त्वत्-अर्थम्: for your sake
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि
• Form: true

• महा-बाहो: O mighty-armed one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• सूत-पुत्रेण: by/with the charioteer’s son (Karna)
• सूत-पुत्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• संयुगे: in battle, in combat
• संयुगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

Speaker

श्रीवायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Vāsavī (Indra-associated divine weapon/power)
• Karna (Sūtaputra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how divine resources and destiny can be oriented toward a specific ethical and strategic end in war: power is not merely possessed, but reserved and directed with purpose—here, toward a decisive confrontation with Karṇa.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu informs the addressed hero that the Indra-associated weapon/power called Vāsavī is poised, blazing like a meteor, and is being kept specifically for use in the coming battle against Karṇa (the sūta’s son).