Shloka 38

Arjuna’s Concentrated Archery and the Rout of the Kaurava Mahārathas

Gāṇḍīva-Nirghoṣa Episode

Devanagari script

ततो वज्ननिकाशेन फाल्गुन: प्रहसन्निव | त्रयोदशेनेन्द्रसम: कृप॑ वक्षस्यविध्यत,फिर उन महारथी अर्जुनने तीन बाणोंसे रथके तीनों वेणु, दोसे रथका धुरा और बारहवें भल्ल नामक बाणसे उनके रथकी ध्वजाको भी उस समय रणभूमिमें काट गिराया। इसके बाद इन्द्रके समान पराक्रमी फाल्गुनने हँसते हुए-से वज्जसदृश तेरहवें बाणद्वारा कृपाचार्यकी छातीमें चोट पहुँचायी

Transliteration

tato vajranikāśena phālgunaḥ prahasann iva | trayodaśenendrasamaḥ kṛpaṃ vakṣasy avidhyat ||

Translation

అప్పుడు ఇంద్రసమాన పరాక్రమశాలి ఫాల్గుణుడు (అర్జునుడు) నవ్వుతున్నట్లే, వజ్రసదృశమైన పదమూడవ బాణంతో కృపుని వక్షస్థలాన్ని ఛేదించాడు।

Word by Word

ततःthen/thereupon

वज्रनिकाशेनwith (a weapon) like a thunderbolt

फाल्गुनःPhalguna (Arjuna)

प्रहसन्laughing

इवas if/like

त्रयोदशेनwith the thirteenth (arrow)

इन्द्रसमःequal to Indra

कृपम्Kripa

वक्षसिin/on the chest

अविध्यत्pierced/struck

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Phālguna (Arjuna)

Kṛpa (Kṛpācārya)

vajra (thunderbolt)

arrow (bāṇa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the tension within kṣatriya-dharma: in war, even venerable figures may be opposed, and decisive action is taken with unwavering skill. It implicitly raises the ethical complexity of duty—how martial obligation can override personal reverence, while still acknowledging the gravity of striking an elder.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna (Phālguna), appearing almost smiling, releases a thunderbolt-like arrow and with his thirteenth shot pierces Kṛpa in the chest, demonstrating superior archery and battlefield dominance.