Shloka 9

बभ्रुवाहन-धनंजययोः संग्रामः

Babhruvāhana and Dhanaṃjaya’s engagement at Maṇipūra

Devanagari script

न हन्येरंश्व राजानो राज्ञश्चाज्ञा कृता भवेत्‌ इति संचिन्त्य स तदा फाल्गुन: पुरुषर्षभ:

Transliteration

na hanyeraṁśva rājāno rājñaścājñā kṛtā bhavet iti sañcintya sa tadā phālgunaḥ puruṣarṣabhaḥ

Translation

毗耶娑波耶那说道：他如此思量——“诸王不当被杀，君主之命亦当奉行”——于是那人中雄牛法尔古那（阿周那）当时以此为义理之准，沉思决断。

Word by Word

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

• हन्येरन्: should be killed / would be slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Atmanepada, 3, Plural, Karmani (passive sense)

• अंशु: Aṃśu (proper name)
• अंशु: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अंशु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजानः: kings
• राजानः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• राज्ञः: of the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

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

• आज्ञा: command, order
• आज्ञा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आज्ञा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• कृता: made, done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Kta (past passive participle), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भवेत्: would be / should be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Vidhi-linga, Parasmaipada, 3, Singular

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• संचिन्त्य: having reflected / considering
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + चिन्त्
• Form: Lyap (absolutive/gerund), Active

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• फाल्गुनः: Phālguna (Arjuna)
• फाल्गुनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: फाल्गुन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरुषर्षभः: bull among men, best of men
• पुरुषर्षभः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष-ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Phālguna (Arjuna)
• rājānaḥ (kings)
• rājñaḥ (the king/sovereign)
• ājñā (royal command)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds a dharmic restraint: even amid conflict, the killing of kings is treated as morally weighty, and the rightful command of a sovereign is to be honored. It presents ethical deliberation as integral to righteous action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna (Phālguna), described as the best of men, pauses to reflect on principles of conduct—avoiding the slaying of kings and fulfilling the king’s order—before proceeding with his next course of action.