Shloka 29
Devanagari script
अर्णुर्ब॑हच्छिरा भूत्वा बृहच्चाणुशिरा: पुन: । एकीभूतस्तदा राजन् सो<भ्यवर्तत मां युधि
Transliteration
arṇur bahacchirā bhūtvā bṛhaccāṇuśirāḥ punaḥ | ekībhūtastadā rājan so 'bhyavartata māṃ yudhi |
Translation
阿周那说道：“大王啊，他有时化作身躯极小而头颅巨大之形；又有时取庞大之身，而其首却显得细小。最终，他收摄诸相，合为一体，在战场上向我逼近。”
Word by Word
अर्णुःArṇu (proper name)
अर्णुः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअर्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
बहत्-शिराःhaving a large head
बहत्-शिराः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootबहत् + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
भूत्वाhaving become
भूत्वा:
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formक्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here), Non-finite
बृहत्-च-अणु-शिराःhaving a huge body and a tiny head
बृहत्-च-अणु-शिराः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootबृहत् + अणु + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पुनःagain
पुनः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुनः
एकीभूतःbecome one (single-formed)
एकीभूतः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootएकीभू (धातु) / एकीभूत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)
तदाthen
तदा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतदा
राजन्O king
राजन्:
TypeNoun
Rootराजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
सःhe
सः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अभ्यवर्ततadvanced against / confronted
अभ्यवर्तत:
TypeVerb
Rootवृत् (धातु) with अभि- (उपसर्ग)
FormImperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada
माम्me
माम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormAccusative, Singular, —
युधिin battle
युधि:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootयुध् (प्रातिपदिक; noun)
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular
Speaker
अजुन उवाच
Characters & Entities
A
ArjunaK
King (rājan; the listener addressed)A
Arṇuḥ (the opponent described)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights steadiness and discernment in conflict: even when an adversary changes form and creates confusion, a warrior must keep composure, assess the situation clearly, and respond with appropriate means rather than panic.
Arjuna reports to a king that his opponent repeatedly altered proportions—sometimes tiny-bodied with a huge head, sometimes huge-bodied with a tiny head—before finally consolidating into a single form and directly engaging Arjuna in battle.