Shloka 169

समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः

Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī

Devanagari script

कार्तवीर्यवधो यत्र हैहयानां च वर्ण्यते | प्रभासतीर्थे पाण्डूनां वृष्णिभिश्व॒ समागम:,इसी चरित्रमें कार्तवीर्य अर्जुन तथा हैहयवंशी राजाओंके वधका वर्णन किया गया है। प्रभासतीर्थमें पाण्डवों एवं यादवोंके मिलनेकी कथा भी इसीमें है

Transliteration

kārtavīryavadho yatra haihayānāṁ ca varṇyate | prabhāsatīrthe pāṇḍūnāṁ vṛṣṇibhiś ca samāgamaḥ ||

Translation

Sa salaysay na ito isinasalaysay ang pagpaslang kay Kārtavīrya Arjuna at ang paglipol sa mga haring Haihaya. Dito rin ikinukuwento ang pagtatagpo ng mga anak ni Pāṇḍu at ng angkan ng Vṛṣṇi sa banal na tawiran ng Prabhāsa.

Word by Word

कार्तवीर्यवधःthe slaying of Kārtavīrya

यत्रwherein/where

हैहयानाम्of the Haihayas

चand

वर्ण्यतेis described

प्रभासतीर्थेat the Prabhāsa pilgrimage-place

पाण्डूनाम्of the Pāṇḍus (Pāṇḍavas)

वृष्णिभिःwith/by the Vṛṣṇis (Yādavas)

समागमःthe meeting/assembly

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kārtavīrya Arjuna

Haihaya (clan/kings)

Prabhāsa-tīrtha

Pāṇḍavas (sons of Pāṇḍu)

Vṛṣṇis (Yādavas)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse points to two morally charged themes: (1) the downfall that can follow the misuse of royal power (as implied by the account of Kārtavīrya Arjuna and the Haihayas), and (2) the significance of tīrthas as settings where destinies of great families intersect, reminding readers that actions and alliances formed in sacred contexts carry lasting ethical consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker indicates that this section contains (a) the narration of Kārtavīrya Arjuna’s slaying and the related destruction of Haihaya rulers, and (b) the story of the meeting between the Pāṇḍavas and the Vṛṣṇis at Prabhāsa-tīrtha.