Shloka 22

अध्याय ५८ — वानरध्वजस्य महेन्द्रास्त्रप्रयोगः

Chapter 58: Arjuna’s Deployment of the Indra-Weapon

Devanagari script

हयांश्व॒ रजतप्रख्यान्‌ कड्कपत्रै: शिलाशितै: । अवाकिरदमेयात्मा पार्थ संकोपयन्निव

Transliteration

hayāṁś ca rajata-prakhyān kaṅka-patraiḥ śilāśitaiḥ | avākirad ameyātmā pārthaṁ saṅkopayann iva ||

Translation

بے اندازہ خودی و قوتِ نفس رکھنے والے درون آچاریہ نے ارجن کے چاندی کی مانند چمکتے سفید گھوڑوں کو بھی پتھر پر تیز کیے ہوئے، سفید بگلے/چیل کے پروں جیسے پر لگے تیروں سے ڈھانپ دیا؛ گویا وہ ارجن کے غضب کو بھڑکانا چاہتے ہوں۔

Word by Word

• हयान्: horses
• हयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• श्वेतान्: white
• श्वेतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• रजतप्रख्यान्: silver-like, resembling silver
• रजतप्रख्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रजतप्रख्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• कङ्कपत्रैः: with (arrows having) heron-feathers
• कङ्कपत्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कङ्कपत्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• शिलाशितैः: sharpened on stone (whetstone-sharpened)
• शिलाशितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिलाशित
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अवाकिरत्: covered, showered (with arrows)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√कॄ (किरति)
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अमेयात्मा: he whose might/self is immeasurable
• अमेयात्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमेयात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पार्थम्: Partha (Arjuna)
• पार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सङ्कोपयन्: provoking to anger, enraging
• सङ्कोपयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्√कुप् (कोपयति)
• Form: Present active participle (Parasmaipada), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna (Pārtha)
• horses
• arrows
• heron/kaṅka feathers
• stone (whetstone)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in battle, skill and aggression are framed by dharma: the verse highlights controlled provocation and testing—an opponent may intensify pressure to draw out one’s full capacity, but the ideal response is disciplined courage rather than blind rage.

What is happening in the narrative?

A mighty warrior showers Arjuna’s silver-bright horses with stone-sharpened, heron-feathered arrows, effectively covering them; the narrator remarks that it appears the teacher is doing this to rouse Arjuna’s anger and escalate the duel.