Shloka 28

Karṇa’s advance against the Pāṇḍava host; Arjuna’s clash with the Saṃśaptakas (कर्णस्य पाण्डवसेनाप्रवेशः—अर्जुनस्य संशप्तकसंप्रहारः)

Devanagari script

संतुष्टमवृणोद्‌ देवं वापी भवतु नः पुरे,तप उग्र॑ समास्थाय नियमे परमे स्थिता: । उस समय देवताओंने दैत्योंको परास्त कर दिया था, यह हमारे सुननेमें आया है। राजन! दैत्योंके परास्त हो जानेपर तारकासुरके तीन पुत्र ताराक्ष, कमलाक्ष और विद्युन्माली उग्र तपस्याका आश्रय ले उत्तम नियमोंका पालन करने लगे

Transliteration

santuṣṭam avṛṇod devaṃ vāpi bhavatu naḥ pure, tapa ugraṃ samāsthāya niyame parame sthitāḥ |

Translation

Sinabi ni Duryodhana: “Nang siya’y masiyahan, pinili niya ang diyos at nagsabi: ‘Magkaroon nawa ng isang balon sa aming lungsod.’ Narinig namin na noong panahong iyon, tinalo ng mga diyos ang mga Daitya. O hari, nang mapabagsak ang mga Daitya, ang tatlong anak ni Tārakāsura—sina Tārakākṣa, Kamalākṣa, at Vidyunmālī—ay kumupkop sa mabagsik na pag-aayuno at nanatiling matatag sa pinakamataas na mga disiplina ng pagpipigil.”

Word by Word

• {'santuṣṭa': 'satisfied, pleased', 'avṛṇot (√vṛ)': 'chose, selected, requested', 'deva': 'a god

• deity', 'vāpi': 'well

• water-tank', 'bhavatu': 'let it be

• may it become', 'naḥ': 'for us

• our', 'pure': 'in the city', 'tapas': 'austerity

• disciplined effort', 'ugra': 'fierce

• intense', 'samāsthāya': 'having undertaken

• having resorted to', 'niyama': 'observance

• religious discipline', 'parama': 'supreme

• highest', 'sthitāḥ': 'standing firm

• steadfast', 'devāḥ': 'the gods', 'daityāḥ': 'Daityas

• a class of anti-gods/demons', 'parājita': 'defeated, overcome', 'śruta': 'heard

• known by report', 'putrāḥ': 'sons', 'tārakāsura': 'Tārakāsura (a demon figure)', 'tārakākṣa': 'Tārakākṣa (name of a demon)', 'kamalākṣa': 'Kamalākṣa (name of a demon)', 'vidyunmālī': 'Vidyunmālī (name of a demon)'}

Speaker

दुर्योधन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Duryodhana
• Devas (gods)
• Daityas
• Tārakāsura
• Tārakākṣa
• Kamalākṣa
• Vidyunmālī
• vāpi (well/reservoir)
• pura (city)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights how intense discipline (tapas) and strict observances (niyama) can generate formidable power and influence outcomes, even for adversarial beings; it also implies an ethical warning that power gained through austerity is morally neutral and depends on the wielder’s intent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duryodhana cites an earlier mythic report: after the gods defeated the Daityas, Tārakāsura’s three sons undertook fierce austerities and maintained supreme restraints, setting the stage for later boons or extraordinary capabilities that affect cosmic and political conflict.