Shloka 18

Virāṭa-parva Adhyāya 42 — Duryodhana’s counsel to Bhīṣma on ajñātavāsa risk and raid strategy

Devanagari script

* जो अग्निके समान प्रकाशमान एवं आगमें तपाये शुद्ध सुवर्णकी बनी हुई म्यानमें सुरक्षित

Transliteration

yo agnike samāna-prakāśamāna evaṁ agnau tapāye śuddha-suvarṇasya banī-huī myāne surakṣitaḥ, bhārī, pānīdāraś ca triṁśad-aṅgulāt bṛhān; yaḥ suvarṇa-bindu-bhir vibhūṣitaḥ kāla-varṇaś ca; yaṁ śatravo na chindanti; yasya sparśaḥ sarpa-sadṛśaḥ; yaḥ śatru-śarīraṁ cīrayitvā dālayati; yaḥ bhāra-sahana-samarthaḥ; divyaḥ śatrūṇāṁ ca bhayaṅkaraḥ—sa khaḍgaḥ kasya? nirdiśasva yathātattvaṁ mayā pṛṣṭā bṛhannale. vismayo me paro jāto dṛṣṭvā sarvam idaṁ mahat.

Translation

Уттара сказал: «Чей это меч — сияющий, как огонь, надежно хранимый в ножнах из очищенного золота; тяжелый и полновесный, длиной более тридцати ширин пальца; украшенный золотыми точками и темного цвета; клинок, который враги не могут рассечь, чье прикосновение подобно змее, что разрубает тело противника, выдерживает великое напряжение, божественен и страшен для врагов? О Бṛханнала, скажи мне в точности то, о чем я спросил. Увидев все эти могучие оружия, я пришел в величайшее изумление».

Word by Word

• निर्दिशस्व: tell/point out
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्दिश्
• Form: Loṭ, 2, 1, Parasmaipada

• यथातत्त्वम्: according to the truth; exactly as it is
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा-तत्त्व

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• पृष्टा: asked (you being asked)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ्
• Form: Past passive participle (kta), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• बृहन्नले: O Bṛhannalā
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहन्नला
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• विस्मयः: astonishment
• विस्मयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मे: of me; to me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• परः: great; extreme
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जातः: has arisen; has occurred
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: Past active participle (kta/ktavatu usage), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Absolutive (ktvā), Active

• सर्वम्: all (this)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• महत्: great; mighty
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बृहन्नले: O Bṛhannalā
• Type: Noun
• Root: बृहन्नला
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

उत्तर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Uttara
• Bṛhannalā
• khaḍga (sword)
• myāna (scabbard)
• agni (fire)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined inquiry and truthful disclosure: Uttara, overwhelmed by the sight of extraordinary weapons, asks Bṛhannalā to identify the sword “as it truly is” (yathātattvam), emphasizing accuracy and integrity in speech amid martial matters.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Virāṭa episode, Uttara encounters a cache of formidable weapons and, astonished, questions Bṛhannalā (Arjuna in disguise) about a particular divine, fearsome sword—its appearance, tempering, ornamentation, and invincibility—seeking to know whose weapon it is.