Shloka 17

Devanagari script

यजमानांस्तु तान्‌ दृष्टवा सर्वान्‌ दीक्षानुकर्शितान्‌ । हन्तुमैच्छन्त शैलाभा: खलिनो नाम दानवा:

Transliteration

yajamānāṁs tu tān dṛṣṭvā sarvān dīkṣānukarśitān | hantum aicchanta śailābhāḥ khalino nāma dānavāḥ ||

Translation

यजमानांस्तु तान् दृष्ट्वा सर्वान् दीक्षानुकर्शितान् । हन्तुमैच्छन्त शैलाभाः खलिनो नाम दानवाः ॥

Word by Word

• यजमानान्: the sacrificers (patrons of the sacrifice)
• यजमानान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजमान
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• तान्: those (them)
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दीक्षा: by (their) consecration/vow
• दीक्षा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीक्षा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• अनुकर्शितान्: emaciated/dragged down (made lean)
• अनुकर्शितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु-कृष्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• हन्तुम्: to kill
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive)

• ऐच्छन्त: they desired/wished
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• शैलाभाः: mountain-like (in appearance/body)
• शैलाभाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैलाभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• खलिनः: Khalins (a named group/tribe)
• खलिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: खलिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नाम: by name/called
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम

• दानवाः: demons/Daityas (Danavas)
• दानवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दानव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• yajamānas (sacrificers)
• dīkṣā (consecration/vow)
• Khalin (Dānavas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Harming those engaged in yajña and weakened by dīkṣā is portrayed as adharma; sacred observance deserves protection, and aggression against it becomes a moral fault that precipitates justified resistance and wider conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Dānavas called Khalin see the sacrificers (devas/ritual performers) grown thin from consecration vows and decide to kill them, setting the stage for a clash between opposing forces over the integrity of the sacrifice.