Shloka 21

अलर्कोपाख्यानम् — Indriya-Nigraha and Yogic Victory

Mahābhārata 14.30

Devanagari script

अलर्क उवाच दृष्टवा रूपाणि बहुशस्तानेव प्रतिगृध्यति । तस्माच्चक्षुर्हनिष्यामि निशितै: सायकैरहम्‌

Transliteration

alarka uvāca dṛṣṭvā rūpāṇi bahuśas tāneva pratigṛdhyati | tasmāc cakṣur haniṣyāmi niśitaiḥ sāyakair aham ||

Translation

ଅଲର୍କ କହିଲା—ଆଖି ଅନେକଥର ବିଭିନ୍ନ ରୂପ ଦେଖି ପୁଣି ସେଇ ରୂପମାନଙ୍କୁ ହିଁ ଦେଖିବାକୁ ଚାହେ; ତେଣୁ ମୁଁ ମୋର ତୀକ୍ଷ୍ଣ ତୀରଦ୍ୱାରା ଏହି ଚକ୍ଷୁକୁ ନଶ୍ଟ କରିଦେବି।

Word by Word

• अलर्कः: Alarka
• अलर्कः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलर्क
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• रूपाणि: forms/appearances
• रूपाणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• बहुशः: many times, repeatedly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुशस्

• तानि: those (same ones)
• तानि: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• प्रतिगृध्यति: craves/longs for again
• Type: Verb
• Root: गृध्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada, प्रति

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that reason
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• चक्षुः: the eye
• चक्षुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्षुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हनिष्यामि: I will kill/destroy
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Simple Future, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• निशितैः: with sharp
• निशितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशित
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सायकैः: arrows
• सायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

Speaker

अलर्क उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Alarka
• eye (cakṣuḥ)
• arrows (sāyaka)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights indriya-nigraha (restraint of the senses): repeated seeing fuels renewed craving, so one must curb the sense-faculty that drives attachment. Alarka’s extreme resolve dramatizes the ethical point that unchecked perception can become a gateway to greed and bondage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Alarka reflects on how the eye, after repeatedly viewing attractive objects, continues to long for them. In a radical act of renunciation, he declares he will destroy his own eye with sharp arrows to end the cycle of seeing and craving.