Shloka 23

Adhyāya 168: Arjuna’s counters to māyā-rains and the onset of darkness

Nivātakavaca engagement

Devanagari script

स तु मामब्रवीद्‌ राजन्‌ मम पूर्वपरिग्रह: । मृगयाधर्ममुत्स॒ज्य किमर्थ ताडितस्त्वया

Transliteration

sa tu mām abravīd rājan mama pūrva-parigrahaḥ | mṛgayā-dharmam utsṛjya kimarthaṁ tāḍitas tvayā, rājan ||

Translation

随后那猎人对我说道：“大王啊，这野猪早已被我先行认作猎物。你为何弃却狩猎之法度而出手射它，大王？”

Word by Word

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

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

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• मम: my/of me
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• पूर्वपरिग्रहः: prior claim/previous possession
• पूर्वपरिग्रहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व-परिग्रह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मृगया: hunting
• मृगया: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगया
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मम्: rule/law
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उत्सज्य: having abandoned/setting aside
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-√सृज्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund/Lyap), Parasmaipada (sense)

• किमर्थम्: for what reason/why
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम्-अर्थ

• ताडितः: struck/attacked
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तड्
• Form: Past Passive Participle (kta), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Instrumental, Singular

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

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• the Kirāta (hunter)
• the boar (wild pig)
• the King (addressed as rājan)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds mṛgayā-dharma—ethical rules even within hunting—especially the principle of respecting a prior claim (pūrva-parigraha) and not violating agreed norms for personal advantage.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna reports that the Kirāta confronts him after the boar is struck, asserting that the animal was already his quarry and accusing Arjuna of disregarding the proper hunting code by attacking it.