Shloka 159

समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः

Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī

Devanagari script

महेन्द्रलोकगमनमस्त्रार्थे च किरीटिन: । यत्र चिन्ता समुत्पन्ना धृतराष्ट्रस्य भूयसी,इसके बाद अर्जुन अस्त्रके लिये इन्द्रलोकमें गये यह सुनकर धृतराष्ट्रको बड़ी चिन्ता हुई

Transliteration

mahendralokagamanam astrārthe ca kirīṭinaḥ | yatra cintā samutpannā dhṛtarāṣṭrasya bhūyasī ||

Translation

其后，冠冕在首的阿周那为求天界神兵，前往摩诃因陀罗之界（因陀罗天）。持国王闻之，心中忧惧深起，且愈发沉重。

Word by Word

महेन्द्रलोकगमनम्the going to Mahendra’s world (Indra-loka)

अस्त्रार्थेfor the purpose of weapons (in the matter of weapons)

चand

किरीटिनःof the diadem-wearer (Arjuna)

यत्रwhere/whereupon

चिन्ताanxiety, worry

समुत्पन्नाarisen, sprung up

धृतराष्ट्रस्यof Dhṛtarāṣṭra

भूयसीgreater, very great

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna (Kirīṭin)

Indra (Mahendra)

Mahendra-loka (Indra’s heaven)

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

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 how attachment to power and partiality breed fear: Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s anxiety rises not from dharma but from political insecurity, as Arjuna’s acquisition of divine weapons signals a shift toward justice-backed strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

News reaches Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna has gone to Indra’s realm to obtain celestial weapons; hearing this, Dhṛtarāṣṭra becomes greatly worried, anticipating the Pāṇḍavas’ increasing might.