Shloka 32

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

Gāṇḍīva-Nirghoṣa Episode

Devanagari script

तामर्जुनस्तदा5<यान्तीं शक्ति हेमविभूषिताम्‌ । वियद्गतां महोल्काभां चिच्छेद दशभि: शरै:

Transliteration

tām arjunas tadāyāntīṁ śaktiṁ hemavibhūṣitām | viyadgatāṁ maholkābhāṁ ciccheda daśabhiḥ śaraiḥ ||

Translation

تب ارجن نے اس سونے سے آراستہ شکتی کو اپنی طرف آتے دیکھا—جو آسمان میں ایک عظیم شہابِ ثاقب کی مانند دوڑ رہی تھی—اور دس تیروں سے اسے کاٹ ڈالا۔

Word by Word

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• आयान्तीम्: coming, approaching
• आयान्तीम्: Karma
• Type: Participle
• Root: आ-या (धातु) / आयन्ती (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular, Present (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्यय; वर्तमानकालिक), Parasmaipada (active participle)

• शक्तिम्: a spear/javelin
• शक्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• हेम-विभूषिताम्: adorned with gold
• हेम-विभूषिताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम + विभूषित (वि-भूष् + क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वियत्-गताम्: gone into the sky; moving through the air
• वियत्-गताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वियत् + गत (गम् + क्त)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• महा-उल्का-आभाम्: having the splendor of a great meteor/firebrand
• महा-उल्का-आभाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा + उल्का + आभा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• चिच्छेद: cut, severed
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दशभिः: with ten
• दशभिः: Karana
• Type: Numeral
• Root: दशन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (common for numerals), Instrumental, Plural

• शरैः: arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• śakti (spear/javelin)
• arrows
• sky (viyat)
• meteor/fireball (ulkā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in conflict, excellence is shown through restraint and precision: Arjuna neutralizes a deadly threat efficiently, using skill to prevent harm rather than escalating violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

A gold-decorated spear hurtles through the air toward Arjuna like a blazing meteor; Arjuna responds by severing it mid-flight with ten arrows.