Shloka 5

Kārtavīrya–Samudra Saṃvāda and the Jāmadagnya Precedent (आश्वमेधिक पर्व, अध्याय २९)

Devanagari script

मदाश्रयाणि भूतानि त्वद्विसष्टेर्महेषुभि: । वध्यन्ते राजशार्दूल तेभ्यो देहाभयं विभो

Transliteration

madāśrayāṇi bhūtāni tvadvisṛṣṭair maheṣubhiḥ | vadhyante rājaśārdūla tebhyo dehābhayaṃ vibho ||

Translation

“Hỡi mãnh hổ giữa các bậc quân vương, đấng quyền năng! Bởi những mũi tên lớn ngài đã phóng ra, các sinh linh nương náu trong thân ta đang bị giết hại. Xin ban cho họ sự an toàn khỏi tổn hại thân xác.”

Word by Word

• मदाश्रयाणि: having me as their refuge / dependent on me
• मदाश्रयाणि: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद्-आश्रय (आश्रय)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• भूतानि: creatures, beings
• भूतानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• त्वद्विसृष्टैः: released by you
• त्वद्विसृष्टैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्वद्-विसृष्ट (विसृज्)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• महेषुभिः: by great arrows
• महेषुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेषु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वध्यन्ते: are being slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: वध्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada, Passive

• राजशार्दूल: O tiger among kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजशार्दूल
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तेभ्यः: to them
• तेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Dative, Plural

• देहाभयम्: bodily safety / freedom from bodily fear
• देहाभयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह-अभय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विभो: O mighty one
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• ब्राह्मण (Brāhmaṇa speaker)
• राजशार्दूल (addressed king/warrior)
• महेषु (great arrows)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in a martial context, power must be governed by dharma: a ruler should restrain violence and protect dependent, vulnerable beings, granting them ‘dehābhaya’—security from bodily harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa, addressing a king/hero who is shooting powerful arrows, pleads that the creatures dwelling within or dependent on him are being killed by those arrows and asks the king to stop and grant them safety.