Shloka 22

अलर्कोपाख्यानम् — Indriya-Nigraha and Yogic Victory

Mahābhārata 14.30

Devanagari script

चक्षुर॒वाच नेमे बाणास्तरिष्यन्ति मामलर्क कथंचन । तवैव मर्म भेत्स्यन्ति भिन्नमर्मा मरिष्यसि

Transliteration

cakṣur uvāca: neme bāṇās tariṣyanti mām alarka kathaṃcana | tavaiva marma bhetsyanti bhinnamarmā mariṣyasi ||

Translation

眼说道：“阿拉尔迦，这些箭绝不能伤我分毫。反倒会刺中你自身的要害；要害既破，你必死无疑。”

Word by Word

• चक्षुः: Cakṣu (a person named Cakṣu)
• चक्षुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्षुस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• इमे: these
• इमे: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बाणाः: arrows
• बाणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तरिष्यन्ति: will cross/overcome (will pass through; will prevail over)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ
• Form: Future (Luṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• अलर्क: O Alarka
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलर्क
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कथंचन: in any way; at all
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन

• तव: of you; your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• एव: indeed; only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• मर्म: vital spot; vulnerable point
• मर्म: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भेत्स्यन्ति: will pierce; will split
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिद्
• Form: Future (Luṭ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• भिन्नमर्मा: one whose vital spot is pierced
• भिन्नमर्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न-मर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मरिष्यसि: you will die
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ
• Form: Future (Luṭ), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

अलर्क उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Alarka
• Cakṣuḥ (the Eye, personified)
• bāṇāḥ (arrows)
• marma (vital points)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Aggression directed at what is invulnerable or protected can rebound upon the aggressor; ethical restraint is urged by warning that violence often returns as self-destruction.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a dialogic episode, the personified Eye addresses Alarka, declaring that his arrows cannot injure it; instead, the attack will end by striking Alarka’s own vital points, leading to his death.