Shloka 15

अश्वमेधीयस्य हयस्य दक्षिणापश्चिमगमनम् — The Sacrificial Horse’s Southern and Western Circuit

Devanagari script

तेषां तु तरसा पार्थस्तत्रैव परिधावताम्‌ | प्रजहारोत्तमाड़्ानि भल्‍्लै: संनतपर्वभि:,वहीं चक्कर काटनेवाले बहुत-से सैनिकोंके मस्तक अर्जुनने झुकी हुई गाँठवाले भल्‍लोंद्वारा वेगपूर्वक काट लिया

Transliteration

teṣāṃ tu tarasā pārthas tatraiva paridhāvatām | prajahārottamāṅgāni bhallaiḥ saṃnata-parvabhiḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：当那些武士在战场上四处回旋奔突之时，帕尔塔（阿周那）以迅猛之势就地击杀，用节处弯曲的婆罗（bhalla）箭斩落他们的头颅。

Word by Word

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• तरसा: with speed/impetuously
• तरसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पार्थः: Arjuna (son of Pṛthā)
• पार्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• परिधावताम्: of those running around/circling
• परिधावताम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-धाव्
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• प्रजहार: struck/smote
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-हृ
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• उत्तम-अङ्गानि: the best limbs (i.e., heads)
• उत्तम-अङ्गानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्तम + अङ्ग
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

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

• संनत-पर्वभिः: having bent/curved joints (at the knots)
• संनत-पर्वभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संनत + पर्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• bhalla (arrow/weapon)
• soldiers/warriors (unnamed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse reflects kṣatriya-dharma in its stark form: when battle is undertaken for a sanctioned cause, the warrior must act decisively and effectively. Ethical restraint is implied not as refusal to fight, but as disciplined action aligned with duty rather than personal rage or cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

As many fighters move about rapidly on the battlefield, Arjuna (Pārtha) attacks with great speed and, using sharp bhalla-arrows described as having bent joints/knots, severs the heads of those opponents on the spot.