Shloka 29

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

Devanagari script

हयांश्वास्य महाकायान्‌ महावेगानरिंदम । चकार राजन्‌ निर्जीवान्‌ प्रहसन्निव पाण्डव:

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca |

hayāṁśvāsya mahākāyān mahāvegān ariṁdama |

cakāra rājan nirjīvān prahasan iva pāṇḍavaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：大王啊，制敌者啊，般度之子（阿周那）仿佛含笑一般，击倒了对手那些雄壮有力的骏马——体躯巨大、奔速如风——使之尽皆毙命。

Word by Word

• हयान्: horses
• हयान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अश्वास्य: having horse-faces / horse-headed
• अश्वास्य: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्वास्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• महाकायान्: huge-bodied
• महाकायान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाकाय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• महावेगान्: very swift
• महावेगान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महावेग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अरिंदम: O foe-subduer
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरिंदम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• चकार: made / rendered
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• निर्जीवान्: lifeless
• निर्जीवान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्जीव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्रहसन्: laughing
• प्रहसन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रहस्
• Form: Śatṛ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

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

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Arjuna (Pāṇḍava)
• King (listener, traditionally Janamejaya)
• Horses (chariot-team)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined prowess: a warrior may appear calm—even smiling—yet act decisively. Ethically, it points to controlled force used for a clear tactical end (disabling the opponent’s movement), reflecting kṣatriya-dharma when battle is unavoidable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Arjuna, in the course of the encounter, strikes down the opponent’s large, swift horses, rendering them lifeless—an action that effectively cripples the enemy chariot’s ability to continue the fight.