Shloka 63

अतिकायवधः

The Slaying of Atikāya

Devanagari script

बालोऽयमितिविज्ञाय न मावज्ञातुमर्हसि ।बालोवायदिवावृद्धोमृत्युंजानीहिसंयुगे ।।।।बालेनविष्णुनालोकास्त्रयःक्रान्तास्त्रिविक्रमैः ।

Transliteration

bālo ’yam iti vijñāya na mām avajñātum arhasi | bālo vā yadi vā vṛddho mṛtyuṃ jānīhi saṃyuge || bālena viṣṇunā lokās trayaḥ krāntās tri-vikramaiḥ |

Translation

Não me desprezes pensando: 'Ele é apenas um jovem'. Seja jovem ou velho, sabe isto: na batalha eu sou a morte. Pois até o jovem Vishnu, na sua forma de Trivikrama, atravessou os três mundos em três passos.

Word by Word

• bālaḥ: a boy/young one
• bālaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana

• iti: thus
• iti: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थ-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-निपात)

• vijñāya: having understood
• vijñāya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√jñā (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय, ल्यप्): "having known/understood"

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• mā: me
• mā: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Dvitīyā Ekavacana (enclitic)

• avajñātum: to disdain/underestimate
• avajñātum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/infinitival complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√jñā (धातु)
• Form: Tumun infinitive (तुमुन्): "to disregard/underestimate"

• arhasi: you ought
• arhasi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arh (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Madhyama-puruṣa Ekavacana, parasmaipada

• bālaḥ: young
• bālaḥ: Pratijñā/Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana (predicate/alternative)

• vā: or
• vā: Samuccaya/Vikalpa-dyotaka (विकल्प-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्प-निपात)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Hetu/Śarta-dyotaka (शर्त-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (शर्त-निपात)

• vā: or
• vā: Vikalpa-dyotaka (विकल्प-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle

• vṛddhaḥ: old
• vṛddhaḥ: Pratijñā/Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Ekavacana (predicate)

• mṛtyum: death
• mṛtyum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā Ekavacana

• jānīhi: know (understand)
• jānīhi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jñā (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (लोट्, imperative), Madhyama-puruṣa Ekavacana, parasmaipada

• saṃyuge: in battle
• saṃyuge: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃyuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī (सप्तमी/locative) Ekavacana

• bālena: by a boy/while young
• bālena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (तृतीया/instrumental) Ekavacana

• viṣṇunā: by Viṣṇu
• viṣṇunā: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā Ekavacana

• lokāḥ: worlds
• lokāḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana

• trayaḥ: three
• trayaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā Bahuvacana; numeral adjective of lokāḥ

• krāntāḥ: were traversed/stepped over
• krāntāḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kram (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Puṃliṅga Prathamā Bahuvacana; predicate: "were traversed/stepped over"

• trivikramaiḥ: by (his) three strides / by Trivikrama
• trivikramaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trivikrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā Bahuvacana; bahuvrīhi epithet "he whose strides are three"; instrumental of means/agency with krāntāḥ

Context

"You should not underestimate me thinking I am young or old to win. You do not know that I am spirit of death in battle. Did not Vishnu as young Trivikrama win the three worlds going by three strides?"

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Atikāya
• Viṣṇu
• three worlds (trailokya)
• battle (saṃyuga)

FAQs

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

Pride and contempt are adharma; one should judge by inner worth and righteous capability, not by age or appearance.

What is the narrative situation?

Lakṣmaṇa warns Atikāya not to underestimate him and supports his warning by citing Viṣṇu’s Trivikrama deed as precedent.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Courage grounded in dharmic confidence: Lakṣmaṇa asserts strength without vanity and uses sacred history to reinforce truth.