Shloka 19

Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness

Nivātakavaca engagement

Devanagari script

निघ्नन्‌ प्रोथेन पृथिवीं विलिखंश्ररणैरपि । सम्मार्जञ्जठरेणोर्वी विवर्तश्न मुहुर्मुहु:

Transliteration

nighnan prothena pṛthivīṁ vilikhañ śṛṅgair api | sammārjan jaṭhareṇorvīṁ vivartaś ca muhur muhuḥ ||

Translation

Arjuna nói: “Nó lấy mõm húc xuống đất, lại còn dùng cả sừng cào xới; chân nó đào bới nền đất. Hết lần này đến lần khác, nó nằm xuống và dùng bụng chà lên mặt đất, khiến nơi ấy sạch đến mức trông như vừa được quét dọn.”

Word by Word

• निघ्नन्: striking, smiting
• निघ्नन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: निघ्नत् (√हन्)
• Form: —, present participle (śatṛ), parasmaipada (active sense), masculine, nominative, singular

• प्रोथेन: with the snout
• प्रोथेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रोथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, instrumental, singular

• पृथिवीम्: the earth, ground
• पृथिवीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• विलिखन्: scratching, digging up
• विलिखन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: विलिखत् (वि + √लिख्)
• Form: —, present participle (śatṛ), parasmaipada (active sense), masculine, nominative, singular

• शरणैः: with (his) arrows / arrow-like (feet/claws)
• शरणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• सम्मार्जन्: sweeping, cleaning
• सम्मार्जन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्मार्जत् (सम् + √मृज्)
• Form: —, present participle (śatṛ), parasmaipada (active sense), masculine, nominative, singular

• जठरेण: with the belly
• जठरेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जठर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

• उर्वीम्: the ground, earth
• उर्वीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: feminine, accusative, singular

• विवर्तश्न: rolling/turning about (probable)
• विवर्तश्न: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: विवर्त (वि + √वृत्/√वर्त्) + श्न (uncertain reading)
• Form: Text appears corrupt/variant; likely intended a participle meaning 'rolling/turning about' (e.g., विवर्तन् / विवर्तमानः).

• मुहुः: again and again, repeatedly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः

• मुहुः: again and again, repeatedly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• earth/ground
• snout
• horns
• feet
• belly

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse primarily serves a descriptive purpose: it highlights intense restlessness and physical agitation through vivid natural imagery. Ethically, it can be read as illustrating how inner disturbance manifests outwardly in repeated, compulsive action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna describes a creature’s behavior: it strikes the ground with its snout, scrapes with its horns, digs with its feet, and repeatedly rolls and rubs its belly on the earth, leaving the spot looking swept clean.