Shloka 18

आशा-कृशता उपाख्यानम्

The Episode on the Emaciation Caused by Hope

Devanagari script

तब शत्रुसूदन नरेशने एक बड़ा भयंकर तीखा बाण हाथमें लिया, जो मर्मस्थलोंको विदीर्ण कर देनेवाला था। उस श्रेष्ठ बाणको उन्होंने धनुषपर रखा ।।

Transliteration

tato gavyūtimātreṇa mṛgayūthapayūthapaḥ | tasya bāṇapathaṃ muktvā tasthivān prahasann iva ||

Translation

Тогда царь, сокрушитель врагов, взял в руку огромную, страшную и острейшую стрелу, способную пронзать жизненно важные места. Эту превосходную стрелу он наложил на лук. Но вожак оленьего стада, отступив всего на расстояние примерно в один гавьюти, вышел из линии выстрела царя и остановился там, словно смеясь.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• गव्यूतिमात्रेण: by/for a distance of (only) one gavyūti
• गव्यूतिमात्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गव्यूतिमात्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• मृगयूथप: leader of the herd of deer
• मृगयूथप: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगयूथप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यूथपः: herd-leader
• यूथपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यूथप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्य: of him / his
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• बाणपथम्: the path/trajectory of the arrow
• बाणपथम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाणपथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मुक्त्वा: having left/avoided
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• तस्थिवान्: stood (having stood)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: क्तवतु (past active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रहसन्: laughing
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हस्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (speaker)
• king (nareśa, implied in context)
• leader of the deer herd (mṛgayūthapayūthapaḥ)
• arrow (bāṇa)
• arrow’s path/trajectory (bāṇapatha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power and aggression alone do not guarantee success; alertness, timely movement, and intelligent avoidance can neutralize even a strong attacker. The episode uses hunting imagery to suggest that effective action must be guided by discernment rather than mere force.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the king prepares to shoot, the leader of the deer herd quickly shifts out of the arrow’s line of flight, moves about a gavyūti away, and stands as if mocking—showing the king’s shot has been effectively evaded.