Shloka 15

Adhyaya 19 — Kartavirya Arjuna at Dattatreya’s Ashram: Boons, Sovereignty, and Vaishnava Praise

Sanskrit

परानुसरणे ज्ञानमप्रतिद्वन्द्वतां रणे ।

सहस्रमाप्तुमिच्छामि बाहूनां लघुतागुणम् ॥

Transliteration

parānusaraṇe jñānam apratidvandvatāṃ raṇe /

sahasram āptum icchāmi bāhūnāṃ laghutāguṇam

Translation

శత్రువులను ఎదుర్కొనుటలో జ్ఞానాన్ని, యుద్ధంలో అపూర్వ పరాక్రమాన్ని నాకు ప్రసాదించుము. అలాగే శీఘ్రగతి-గుణముతో కూడిన సహస్ర బాహువులను పొందాలని నేను కోరుచున్నాను.

Word by Word

• पर-अनुसरणे: in following others
• पर-अनुसरणे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुसरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; तत्पुरुष-समास (परस्य अनुसरणम्) — “in following others”

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• अप्रतिद्वन्द्वताम्: unrivaledness
• अप्रतिद्वन्द्वताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-प्रतिद्वन्द्वता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; भाववाचक-तद्धित (तल्/ता)

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; संख्यावाचक

• आप्तुम्: to obtain
• आप्तुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: Tumun-infinitive (तुमुन्), “to obtain/attain”

• इच्छामि: I desire
• इच्छामि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• बाहूनाम्: of (my) arms
• बाहूनाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• लघुता-गुणम्: the quality of lightness
• लघुता-गुणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लघुता (प्रातिपदिक) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; तत्पुरुष-समास (लघुतायाः गुणः) — “the quality of lightness”

Speakers

• Kārtavīrya speaking (to Dattātreya)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Dattātreya
• Kārtavīrya Arjuna

Key Themes

• Royal might
• Battle prowess
• Divine boons
• Strategic intelligence

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Power is requested in layered form: first discernment (jñāna), then invincibility, then extraordinary capacity—suggesting that intelligence is the rightful governor of force.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Carita: aetiology of Kārtavīrya’s famed epithet and superhuman attributes within the royal narrative.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘A thousand arms’ symbolizes multi-directional agency: a ruler’s capacity to act simultaneously in many domains—defense, justice, economy—when aligned with dharma.