Shloka 27

Ulūpī–Citravāhinī Saṃvāda: Dhanaṃjaya-patana and Prāya-threat

Devanagari script

तान्‌ स गाण्डीवनिर्मुक्तान्‌ वज़्ाशनिसमप्रभान्‌ । नाराचानच्छिनद्‌ राजा भल्लै:सर्वास्त्रिधा द्विधा

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

tān sa gāṇḍīva-nirmuktān vajrāśani-samaprabhān |

nārācān acchinad rājā bhallaiḥ sarvāṃs tridhā dvidhā ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：国王以自己的婆罗（bhalla）箭矢，将那从甘狄婆弓射出的那罗迦箭——光焰如金刚、如雷电——一一截断，使每支都裂为两段或三段。

Word by Word

• तान्: those (arrows)
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• गाण्डीव-निर्मुक्तान्: released from the Gāṇḍīva (bow)
• गाण्डीव-निर्मुक्तान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गाण्डीव-निर्मुक्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वज्र-अशनि-सम-प्रभान्: having splendor like a thunderbolt and lightning
• वज्र-अशनि-सम-प्रभान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वज्र-अशनि-सम-प्रभ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• नाराचान्: iron arrows (nārācas)
• नाराचान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाराच
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भल्लैः: with (his) bhalla-arrows
• भल्लैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भल्ल
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

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

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Gāṇḍīva
• rājā (the king)
• nārāca (arrows)
• bhalla (arrows)
• vajra
• aśani

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined kṣatriya conduct: power is guided by skill, focus, and restraint. Even in violent conflict, mastery and control—rather than uncontrolled rage—define righteous martial excellence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arrows shot from the famed Gāṇḍīva blaze like lightning, but the king counters by slicing those incoming shafts with his own bhalla arrows, splitting them into two or three pieces before they can strike.