Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तां च मायां तदा दृष्टवा घोरां नागेन वज्चित: । द्विधा त्रिधा च खगतान्‌ प्राणिन: पाण्डवो5च्छिनत्‌

Transliteration

tāṃ ca māyāṃ tadā dṛṣṭvā ghorāṃ nāgena vañcitaḥ | dvidhā tridhā ca khagatān prāṇinaḥ pāṇḍavo 'cchinat ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：见到那可怖的幻术，般度之子（阿周那）被蛇的诡计所欺，便击落空中飞行的生灵，将其斩为两段，甚至三段。

Word by Word

• ताम्: that (her/it)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

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

• मायाम्: illusion, magic
• मायाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• घोराम्: terrible, dreadful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• नागेन: by the serpent (Nāga)
• नागेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• वञ्चितः: deceived, cheated
• Type: Verb
• Root: वञ्च्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• द्विधा: into two parts
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: द्विधा

• त्रिधा: into three parts
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिधा

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

• खगतान्: gone in the sky; flying
• Type: Adjective
• Root: खगत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्राणिनः: living beings, creatures
• प्राणिनः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पाण्डवः: the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)
• पाण्डवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अच्छिनत्: cut, severed
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Arjuna
• Nāga (serpent)
• māyā (illusion)
• khaga (flying creatures/birds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical danger of māyā (delusion): when perception is distorted by deception, even a righteous hero may act with excessive force. It implicitly values discernment and restraint—testing appearances before unleashing violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

A serpent (Nāga) produces a terrifying illusion. Arjuna, momentarily deceived, reacts by attacking the airborne beings he sees, cutting the flying creatures into two or three pieces.