Shloka 11

अर्जुनस्य लक्ष्यवेधः

Arjuna’s Hitting of the Target at the Svayaṃvara

Devanagari script

इच्छन्नपचितिं कर्तु भूगूणां भूगुनन्दन: । सर्वलोकविनाशाय तपसा महतैधित:

Transliteration

icchann apacitiṁ kartuṁ bhṛgūṇāṁ bhṛgunandanaḥ | sarvalokavināśāya tapasā mahataidhitaḥ ||

Translation

بھِرگو وَنش کے مسرّت بخش اُس نوجوان نے بھِرگُوؤں کی واجب تعظیم اور بدلہ چکانے کی خواہش سے تمام جہانوں کی ہلاکت کا عزم کر لیا، اور عظیم ریاضت کے زور سے اپنی قوت کو بہت بڑھا لیا۔

Word by Word

• इच्छन्: wishing, desiring
• इच्छन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (इच्छ्)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपचितिम्: reverence, honoring (repayment of respect)
• अपचितिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपचिति
• Form: स्त्री, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कर्तुम्: to do, to perform
• कर्तुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive)

• भृगूणाम्: of the Bhṛgus
• भृगूणाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु
• Form: पुं, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• भृगुनन्दनः: the delight/son of Bhṛgu (Bhārgava)
• भृगुनन्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु-नन्दन
• Form: पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वलोकविनाशाय: for the destruction of all worlds
• सर्वलोकविनाशाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-लोक-विनाश
• Form: पुं, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• तपसा: by austerity
• तपसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: नपुं, तृतीया, एकवचन

• महतā: great, mighty
• महतā: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: नपुं, तृतीया, एकवचन

• एधितः: grown, increased, strengthened
• एधितः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: एध्
• Form: क्त (भूतकृदन्त), पुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• वसिष्ठ (Vasiṣṭha)
• भृगु (Bhṛgu)
• भृगवः/भृगूणाम् (the Bhṛgu lineage)
• भृगुनन्दन (Bhṛgunandana—Paraśurāma)
• सर्वलोक (all worlds/peoples)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns that even a motive framed as honoring ancestors (apaciti) can become ethically dangerous when it turns into totalizing revenge. Tapas amplifies intention; when the intention is destructive, spiritual power risks becoming a force against dharma and the welfare of the world.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha describes the Bhṛgu-descended hero (Paraśurāma) undertaking severe austerities to increase his power, driven by a desire to repay the Bhṛgus—interpreted as honoring slain ancestors and/or avenging their killing—leading him toward a vow of widespread destruction.