Shloka 22

मैत्रीप्रतिज्ञा-वैरकारणप्रश्नः

Friendship Vow and Inquiry into the Cause of Enmity

Devanagari script

इमे हि मे महावेगा पत्रिणस्तिग्मतेजसः।कार्तिकेयवनोद्भूताश्शरा हेमविभूषिताः।।कङ्कपत्रपरिच्छन्ना महेन्द्राशनिसन्निभाः।सुपर्वाणस्सुतीक्ष्णाग्रास्सरोषा भुजगा इव।।

Transliteration

ime hi me mahāvegāḥ patriṇas tigma-tejasaḥ | kārtikeyavanodbhūtāḥ śarā hema-vibhūṣitāḥ ||

kaṅka-patra-paricchannā mahendrāśani-sannibhāḥ | suparvāṇaḥ su-tīkṣṇāgrāḥ sa-roṣā bhujagā iva ||

Translation

Ибо вот мои стрелы: стремительные, оперённые, пылающие мощью; говорят, они возникли в тростниковой роще Карттикеи и украшены золотом. Покрытые перьями канка, они подобны молнии Индры: крепко сочленённые, с бритвенно‑острыми наконечниками, свирепые, как разгневанные змеи.

Word by Word

• ime: these
• ime: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (pronoun/सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/बलार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta/particle (निपात)

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Genitive (षष्ठी/6) singular (एकवचन) (enclitic form)

• mahāvegāḥ: very swift
• mahāvegāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + vega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound adjective (समास-विशेषण), Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural; components: mahā (महान्) + vega (वेग)

• patriṇaḥ: winged (feathered)
• patriṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: patrin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural; adjective used substantively (विशेषण-प्रयोग)

• tigmatejasaḥ: of fierce brilliance
• tigmatejasaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tigma + tejas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural; components: tigma (तीक्ष्ण/प्रचण्ड) + tejas (तेजस्)

• kārtikeyavanodbhūtāḥ: arisen from Kārtikeya’s reed-bed/forest
• kārtikeyavanodbhūtāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kārtikeya + vana + udbhūta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/ktá) from √bhū with ud- (उद्भूत = arisen), used adjectivally; Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural; compound: kārtikeyasya vana (कार्तिकेयस्य वनम्) + udbhūta (उद्भूत)

• śarāḥ: arrows
• śarāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural

• hemavibhūṣitāḥ: adorned with gold
• hemavibhūṣitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hema + vibhūṣita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त) from √bhūṣ (भूष्) with vi- (विभूषित = adorned); Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural; tatpuruṣa: hemena (हेमेन) vibhūṣitāḥ

• kaṅka-patra-paricchannāḥ: covered with heron feathers
• kaṅka-patra-paricchannāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaṅka + patra + paricchanna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त) from √chad (छद्) with pari- (परिच्छन्न = covered); Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural; tatpuruṣa: kaṅkasya patraiḥ (कङ्कस्य पत्रैः) paricchannāḥ

• mahendra-aśani-sannibhāḥ: like Mahendra’s thunderbolt
• mahendra-aśani-sannibhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahendra + aśani + sannibha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural; tatpuruṣa: mahendrasya aśani (महेन्द्रस्य अशनि) + sannibha (सन्निभ = comparable)

• suparvāṇaḥ: having fine joints
• suparvāṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + parvan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural; components: su (सु = good) + parvan (पर्वन् = joint/segment)

• sutīkṣṇa-agrāḥ: with very sharp tips
• sutīkṣṇa-agrāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + tīkṣṇa + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural; components: su (very) + tīkṣṇa (sharp) + agra (tip/point)

• saroṣāḥ: wrathful
• saroṣāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + roṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural; sa-roṣa = with anger

• bhujagāḥ: serpents
• bhujagāḥ: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhujaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Plural

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā-dyotaka (उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Upamā-vācaka avyaya (उपमा-वाचक अव्यय)

Context

'Here are my high-speed, winged arrows glowing like fierce fire, born out of Kartikeya's bed of reeds.They are smooth and well-jointed, decked with gold, comparable in strength to great Indra's thunderbolt, very sharp with pointed tips looking like angry serpents.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sugrīva
• Kārttikeya
• Mahendra (Indra)
• aśani (Indra’s thunderbolt)

FAQs

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

Dharma here includes kṣatriya responsibility: the righteous must possess the capability to restrain wrongdoing; moral intent is paired with effective means.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma displays confidence in his weaponry while assuring Sugrīva that Vāli can be decisively overcome.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s protective power under discipline—strength employed in service of justice, not aggression for its own sake.