Shloka 19

वज्रदत्तेन सह अर्जुनयुद्धम्

Arjuna’s engagement with Vajradatta during the Aśvamedha circuit

Devanagari script

तस्मै बाणांस्ततो जिष्णुर्निर्मुक्ताशीविषोपमान्‌ | प्रेषयामास संक़्रुद्धो ज्वलितज्वलनोपमान्‌

Transliteration

tasmai bāṇāṁs tato jiṣṇur nirmuktāśīviṣopamān | preṣayāmāsa saṅkruddho jvalitajvalanopamān ||

Translation

Bấy giờ Jiṣṇu (Arjuna), bừng bừng phẫn nộ, bắn về phía hắn một loạt tên—như những rắn độc vừa được thả ra, như chính ngọn lửa rực cháy—nhằm dùng uy lực áp đảo để chặn đứng sự hung hăng của đối thủ.

Word by Word

• तस्मै: to him
• तस्मै: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Dative, Singular

• बाणान्: arrows
• बाणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• जिष्णुः: Jishnu (Arjuna)
• जिष्णुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिष्णु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निर्मुक्त: released/shot
• निर्मुक्त: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मुक्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• आशीविषोपमान्: like venomous serpents
• आशीविषोपमान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आशीविष-उपम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्रेषयामास: sent/shot forth
• प्रेषयामास: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इष्
• Form: Perfect (Periphrastic), Third, Singular

• संकृद्धः: enraged
• संकृद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकृद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ज्वलितज्वलनोपमान्: like blazing fire
• ज्वलितज्वलनोपमान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वलित-ज्वलन-उपम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana (narrator/speaker)
• Jiṣṇu (Arjuna)
• arrows (bāṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya impulse to meet aggression with decisive force, while implicitly warning that anger (saṅkruddha) intensifies violence; ethical strength lies in directing power toward protection and restraint rather than mere wrath.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna, angered in the confrontation, releases a rapid barrage of arrows at his opponent, described through vivid similes—like freed venomous snakes and like blazing fire—to convey their lethal speed and intensity.