Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अग्रहस्तसुमुक्तेन शीकरेण स नागराट्‌ | समौक्षत गुडाकेशं शैलं नीलमिवाम्बुद:,उस गजराजने अपनी सूँडसे छोड़े गये जलकणोंद्वारा गुडाकेश अर्जुनको भिगो दिया। मानो मेघने नील पर्वतपर जलके फुहारे डाल दिये हों

Transliteration

agrahastasumuktena śīkareṇa sa nāgarāṭ | samaukṣata guḍākeśaṃ śailaṃ nīlam ivāmbudaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Với làn nước phun từ đầu vòi, voi chúa đã làm ướt đẫm Guḍākeśa (Arjuna), như mây mưa rưới xuống một ngọn núi xanh thẫm.

Word by Word

अग्र-हस्त-सुमुक्तेनby (water) well-released from the fore-trunk

शीकरेणwith a spray/droplet

सःhe

नागराट्the king of elephants

समौक्षतsprinkled/drenched

गुडाकेशम्Gudākeśa (Arjuna)

शैलम्a mountain

नीलम्blue/dark

इवas if/like

अम्बुदःa cloud

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Guḍākeśa (Arjuna)

Nāgarāṭ (elephant-king)

Ambuda (cloud)

Nīla-śaila (dark-blue mountain, simile)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights auspicious honor expressed through symbolic action: the elephant’s sprinkling resembles a consecratory shower, suggesting goodwill, royal dignity, and the celebratory tone surrounding the Aśvamedha context rather than conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

An elephant-king releases a fine spray of water from his trunk and drenches Arjuna (Guḍākeśa). The poet compares it to a rain-cloud showering a dark mountain, emphasizing vivid spectacle and ceremonial grandeur.