Shloka 42

ब्राह्मणपूजा-राजधर्मः | Royal Duty of Honoring Learned Brahmins

Devanagari script

अस्त्रैरस्त्राणि संवार्य तेषां राजा प्रतर्दन: । जघान तान्‌ महातेजा वज्जानलसमै: शरै:

Transliteration

astrair astrāṇi saṃvārya teṣāṃ rājā pratardanaḥ | jaghāna tān mahātejā vajrānalasamaiḥ śaraiḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma nói: Vua Pratardana, rực rỡ uy quang, dùng chính binh khí của mình hóa giải mọi đòn bắn của địch; rồi với những mũi tên cháy sáng như lôi đình và hỏa diệm, ngài đánh gục tất cả bọn họ.

Word by Word

• अस्त्रैः: by (his) weapons
• अस्त्रैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• अस्त्राणि: weapons (of the enemies)
• अस्त्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• संवार्य: having warded off / having restrained
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + वृ
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• तेषाम्: of them (of those enemies)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रतर्दनः: Pratardana
• प्रतर्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतर्दन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जघान: slew / killed
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• महातेजाः: the great-splendored (one)
• महातेजाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-तेजस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वज्र-अनल-समैः: with (arrows) equal to thunderbolt and fire
• वज्र-अनल-समैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र + अनल + सम
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Pratardana
• astras (weapons/missiles)
• śaras (arrows)
• vajra (thunderbolt)
• anala (fire)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores disciplined force: a righteous warrior first neutralizes incoming harm (defensive restraint) and then acts decisively to end the threat. It frames martial action as ordered, skillful, and directed toward restoring stability rather than uncontrolled violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma narrates how King Pratardana counters the opponents’ missiles with his own weapons and then kills them with arrows described as thunderbolt- and fire-like in power, emphasizing his superior prowess and the overwhelming momentum of the encounter.