Shloka 51

Kailāsa-darśana, Badarī-vāsa, and Sarasvatī–Dvaitavana Transition (कैलासदर्शन–बदरीवास–सरस्वतीद्वैतवनगमनम्)

Devanagari script

मीनवाजिसरूपाणां नानाशस्त्रासिपाणिनाम्‌ तथैव यातुधानानां गदामुद्गरधारिणाम्‌

Transliteration

mīnavājisarūpāṇāṃ nānāśastrāsipāṇinām tathaiva yātudhānānāṃ gadāmudgaradhāriṇām

Translation

அர்ஜுனன் கூறினான்—“மீன்-வடிவமும் குதிரை-வடிவமும் கொண்ட உயிர்களை கண்டேன்; அவர்களின் கைகளில் பலவகை ஆயுதங்களும் வாள்களும் இருந்தன; மேலும் கதை, முத்கரம் ஏந்திய ராட்சசப் பண்புடைய யாதுதானர்களையும் கண்டேன்.”

Word by Word

मीनवाजि-सरूपाणाम्of those having forms like fish and horses

नाना-शस्त्र-असि-पाणिनाम्of those whose hands bear various weapons and swords

तथाlikewise/so

एवindeed/just

यातुधानानाम्of the rākṣasas/demons (yātudhānas)

गदा-मुद्गर-धारिणाम्of those bearing maces and hammers/clubs

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

mīna (fish-forms)

vāji (horse-forms)

yātudhāna (demonic beings)

śastra (weapons)

asi (sword)

gadā (mace)

mudgara (club)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the bewildering, fearsome diversity of hostile forces—some grotesquely hybrid and heavily armed—testing a hero’s steadiness. Ethically, it points to the need for courage and discernment when confronted with terrifying appearances and violent intent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is describing what he sees: strange beings with fish- and horse-like forms carrying assorted weapons and swords, and yātudhānas (demonic adversaries) wielding maces and clubs—an ominous depiction of a threatening, otherworldly martial scene.