Shloka 72

निवातकवचवधः — Arjuna’s Neutralization of the Nivātakavacas

Vajra-astra deployment

Devanagari script

समुद्रकुक्षिमाश्रित्य दुर्गे प्रतिवसन्त्युत । तिस्र: कोट्य: समाख्यातास्तुल्यरूपबलप्रभा:,*वे समुद्रके भीतर दुर्गम स्थानका आश्रय लेकर रहते हैं। उनकी संख्या तीन करोड़ बतायी जाती है और उन सभीके रूप, बल और तेज एक समान हैं। कुन्तीनन्दन! तुम उन दानवोंका संहार कर डालो। इतने से ही तुम्हारी गुरु-दक्षिणा पूरी हो जायगी।' ऐसा कहकर इन्द्रने मुझे एक अत्यन्त कान्तिमान्‌ दिव्य रथ प्रदान किया, जिसे मातलि जोतकर लाये थे। उसमें मयूरोंके समान रोमवाले घोड़े जुते हुए थे। रथ आ जानेपर देवराजने यह उत्तम किरीट मेरे मस्तकपर बाँध दिया

Transliteration

samudrakukṣim āśritya durge prativasanty uta | tisraḥ koṭyaḥ samākhyātās tulyarūpabalaprabhāḥ ||

Translation

阿周那说道：“他们依凭大海深处，居于一座难以攻入的险固城堡。据说其数有三俱胝，形貌、力势与光辉皆一律相同。”

Word by Word

समुद्रकुक्षिम्the ocean-cavity (interior of the sea)

आश्रित्यhaving resorted to / taking refuge in

दुर्गेin a difficult/impregnable place (fort/stronghold)

प्रतिवसन्तिthey dwell / reside

उतand / also

तिस्रःthree

कोट्यःcrores (ten-millions)

समाख्याताःare said/declared (to be)

तुल्यरूपबलप्रभाःhaving equal form, strength, and splendor

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Ocean (Samudra)

Durga (inaccessible stronghold/fortress)

Unnamed beings (implied group described as three crores)

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

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the heroic ethic of facing daunting, well-protected forces without being deterred by their number or seeming uniform might—steadfastness and resolve in the face of overwhelming odds.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna reports information about a vast host dwelling in a hard-to-reach fortress within the ocean’s depths, emphasizing both their immense number and their equalized power and splendor.