Shloka 11

वज्रदत्तेन सह अर्जुनयुद्धम्

Arjuna’s engagement with Vajradatta during the Aśvamedha circuit

Devanagari script

प्रचोद्यमान: स गजस्तेन राज्ञा महाबल: । तदाड्कुशेन विबभावुत्पतिष्यन्निवाम्बरम्‌

Transliteration

pracodyamānaḥ sa gajastena rājñā mahābalaḥ | tad-aṅkuśena vibabhāv utpatiṣyann ivāmbaram ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：那国王以象钩驱策，击打催迫；那头大力战象便猛然前扑，纵跃如将腾空入天。

Word by Word

• प्रचोद्यमानः: being urged/impelled
• प्रचोद्यमानः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रचोद्य (प्र + चुद् धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he/that
• सः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गजः: elephant
• गजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तेन: by him/with him
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महाबलः: very strong/mighty
• महाबलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाबल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that/then (that act/that moment)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अङ्कुशेन: with the goad
• अङ्कुशेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्कुश
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• विबभौ: shone/appeared (splendidly)
• विबभौ: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + भा (भा धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• उत्पतिष्यन्: about to leap up
• उत्पतिष्यन्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत् + पत् (पत् धातु)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अम्बरम्: sky
• अम्बरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्बर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• rājā (the king)
• gaja (elephant)
• aṅkuśa (elephant-goad)
• ambara (sky)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Great power, when driven by command and coercive tools, can become sudden and dangerous; the verse implicitly highlights the ethical need for restraint and accountability in directing force—especially by rulers.

What is happening in the narrative?

The king prods the mighty elephant with an aṅkuśa, and the elephant lunges forward so forcefully that it seems as though it might leap into the sky.