Shloka 20

अम्बा-शाल्वसंवादः | Amba’s Appeal to Śālva and His Refusal

Devanagari script

अपातयं शरैर्दीप्तै: प्रहसन्‌ भरतर्षभ । तेषामापततां चित्रान्‌ ध्वजान्‌ हेमपरिष्कृतान्‌

Transliteration

apātayaṁ śarair dīptaiḥ prahasan bharatarṣabha | teṣām āpatatāṁ citrān dhvajān hemapariṣkṛtān ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“噢，婆罗多族中的雄牛！当他们冲锋之时，我含笑以炽燃之箭射落他们那金饰辉煌、色彩斑斓的华美战旗。”

Word by Word

• अपातयम्: I caused to fall / I felled
• अपातयम्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-√पत् (caus.)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• दीप्तैः: blazing, shining
• दीप्तैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• प्रहसन्: laughing
• प्रहसन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√हस्
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत + ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

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

• आपतताम्: of those rushing/attacking
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√पत्
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• चित्रान्: variegated, splendid
• चित्रान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ध्वजान्: banners, standards
• ध्वजान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• हेमपरिष्कृतान्: adorned with gold
• हेमपरिष्कृतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हेम + परिष्कृत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• भरतश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत + श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Bharatarṣabha (honorific addressee, likely a Bharata prince)
• śara (arrows)
• dhvaja (standards/banners)
• hema (gold ornamentation)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds kṣatriya-dharma in practice: steadiness and confidence under attack, and the tactical targeting of enemy standards to weaken morale—showing how martial excellence and psychological strategy operate within the ethics of battlefield duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the opposing side rushes to attack, Bhīṣma narrates that he, smiling/laughing in confidence, uses blazing arrows to cut down and topple their ornate, gold-adorned banners.