Shloka 7

वज्रदत्तेन सह अर्जुनयुद्धम्

Arjuna’s engagement with Vajradatta during the Aśvamedha circuit

Devanagari script

पाण्डुरेणातपत्रेण प्रियमाणेन मूर्थनि । दोधूयता चामरेण श्वेतेन च महारथ:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

pāṇḍureṇātapatreṇa priyamāṇena mūrdhani |

dodhūyatā cāmareṇa śvetena ca mahārathaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Vị đại xa chiến ấy được tôn vinh với chiếc lọng vương giả trắng nhạt che trên đầu, và chiếc phất trần đuôi yak trắng đang phe phẩy. Được hầu cận như một bậc quân vương, hắn tiến đến gần Pārtha (Arjuna); nhưng vì tính trẻ dại hấp tấp và ngu muội, vị vua ấy lại thách thức người anh hùng Pāṇḍava giao chiến.

Word by Word

• पाण्डुरेण: with a pale/whitish
• पाण्डुरेण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाण्डुर
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• आतपत्रेण: umbrella/parasol
• आतपत्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतपत्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रियमाणेन: being held/used (lit. being made pleasing/being attended to)
• प्रियमाणेन: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्री
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular, Present passive participle (शानच्), agreeing with आतपत्रेण

• मूर्धनि: on the head
• मूर्धनि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• दोधूयता: waving/shaking
• दोधूयता: Karana
• Type: Verb
• Root: धू
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular, Present active participle (शतृ), agreeing with (सेवकेन/परिचारकेन) implied

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• चामरेण: with a yak-tail fan (chowrie)
• चामरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चामर
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• श्वेतेन: white
• श्वेतेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महारथः: the great chariot-warrior
• महारथः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महारथ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Pāṇḍava (collective reference)
• ātapatra (royal parasol)
• cāmara (yak-tail fan)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

External marks of kingship—parasol, attendants, ceremonial honor—do not guarantee inner wisdom. When pride and childish impulsiveness govern a ruler, he may rush toward unjust conflict, revealing a gap between appearance and dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

A celebrated warrior-king, attended with a white parasol and a white cāmara fan, approaches Pārtha (Arjuna). Despite the royal display, he behaves rashly and challenges the Pāṇḍava hero to fight.