Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तामापतन्तीं वेगेन गदां ज्वालाकुलां तत:

Transliteration

tām āpatantīṁ vegena gadāṁ jvālākulāṁ tataḥ

Translation

ततः स वेगेनापतन्तीं ज्वालाकुलां गदां ददर्श॥

Word by Word

• ताम्: her/that (fem.)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आपतन्तीम्: falling/coming down (upon)
• आपतन्तीम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपत् (धातु) → आपतन्ती (वर्तमान-कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वेगेन: with speed/force
• वेगेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• गदाम्: mace
• गदाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ज्वाला-आकुलाम्: filled with flames, flame-tossed
• ज्वाला-आकुलाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वाला (प्रातिपदिक) + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereupon; from there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• gadā (mace)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the intensity of righteous warfare: even amid terrifying force, a warrior is expected to meet danger with steadiness and duty-conscious action, not panic or cruelty beyond the code of battle.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes a mace, blazing and flame-wreathed, rushing swiftly toward its target—an immediate battlefield moment signaling a powerful strike about to land.