Laurel · Vyasa · The Mahabharata (condensed)

Arms and Weapons

Vyasa (about 400 BC), translated by Romesh Chunder Dutt · 1899

trochaic octameter · rhyming couplets · 97 lines · from The Mahabharata (condensed)

Arjun drove the prince of Matsya to a darksome sami tree,Spake unto the timid warrior in his accents bold and free:

"Prince, thy bow and shining arrows, pretty handsome toys are these,Scarcely they beseem a warrior, and a warrior cannot please!

Thou shalt find upon this sami, mark my words which never fail,Stately bows and winged arrows, banners, swords and coats of mail!

And a bow which strongest warriors scarce can in the battle bend,And the limits of a kingdom widen when that bow is strained!

Tall and slender like a palm-tree, worthy of a warrior bold,Smooth the wood of hardened fibre, and the ends are yellow gold!"

Doubting still Uttara answered: "In this sami's gloomy shadeCorpses hang since many seasons, in their wrappings duly laid,

Now I mark them all suspended, horrent, in the open air,And to touch the unclean objects, friend, is more than I can dare!"

"Fear not warrior," Arjun answered, "for the tree conceals no dead,Warriors' weapons, cased like corpses, lurk within its gloomy shade,

And I ask thee, prince of Matsya, not to touch an unclean thing,But unto a chief and warrior weapons and his arms to bring!"

Prince Uttara gently lighted, climbed the dark and leafy tree,Arjun from the prince's chariot bade him speed the arms to free,

Then the young prince cut the wrappings and the shining bows appearTwisted, voiced like hissing serpents, like the bright stars glisteningclear!

Seized with wonder prince Uttara silently the weapons eyed,And unto his chariot-driver thus in trembling accents cried:

"Whose this bow so tall and stately, speak to me my gentle friend,On the wood are golden bosses, tipped with gold at either end?

Whose this second ponderous weapon stout and massive in the hold,On the staff are worked by artists elephants of burnished gold?

Sure some great and mighty monarch owns this other bow of might,Set with golden glittering insects on its ebon back so bright?

Golden suns of wondrous brightness on this fourth their lustre lend,Who may be the unknown archer who this stately bow can bend?

And the fifth is set with jewels, gems and stones of purest ray,Golden fire-flies glint and sparkle in the yellow light of day!

Who doth own these shining arrows with their heads in gold encased,Thousand arrows bright and feathered, in the golden quivers placed?

Next are these with vulture-feather, golden-yellow in their hue,Made of iron, keen and whetted, whose may be these arrows true?

Next upon this sable quiver jungle tigers worked in gold,And these keen and boar-eared arrows speak some chieftains fierce and bold!

Fourth are these seven hundred arrows, crescent is their shining blade,Thirsting for the blood of foemen, and by cunning artists made!

And the fifth are golden-crested, made of tempered steel and bright,Parrot feathers wing these arrows, whetted and of wondrous might!

Who doth own this wondrous sabre, shape of toad is on the hilt,On the blade a toad is graven, and the scabbard nobly gilt?

Larger, stouter is this second in its sheath of tiger-skin,Decked with bells and gold-surmounted, and the blade is bright and keen!

Next this scimitar so curious by the skilled nishadas made,Scabbard made of wondrous cowhide sheathes the bright and polished blade!

Fourth, a long and beauteous weapon glittering sable in its hue,With its sheath of softer goat-skin worked with gold on azure blue!

And the fifth is broad and massive over thirty fingers long,Golden-sheathed and gold embossed like a snake or fiery tongue!"

Joyously responded Arjun: "Mark this bow embossed with gold,'Tis the wondrous bow, gandiva, worthy of a warrior bold!

Gift of heaven! to archer Arjun kindly gods this weapon sent,And the confines of a kingdom widen when the bow is bent!

Next, this mighty ponderous weapon worked with elephants of gold,With this bow the stalwart Bhima hath the tide of conquests rolled!

And the third with golden insects by a cunning hand inlaid,'Tis Yudhishthir's royal weapon by the noblest artists made!

Next the bow with solar lustre brave Nakula wields in fight,And the fifth is Sahadeva's, decked with gems and jewels bright!

Listen, prince! these thousand arrows, unto Arjun they belong,And the darts whose blades are crescent unto Bhima brave and strong,

Boar-ear shafts are young Nakula's, in the tiger-quiver cased,Sahadeva owns the arrows with the parrot's feather graced,

These three-knotted shining arrows, thick and yellow vulture-plumed,They belong to King Yudhishthir, with their heads by gold illumed.

Listen more! if of these sabres, prince of Matsya, thou wouldst know,Arjun's sword is toad-engraven, ever dreaded by the foe!

And the sword in tiger-scabbard, massive and of mighty strength,None save tiger-waisted Bhima wields that sword of wondrous length!

Next the sabre golden-hilted, sable and with gold embossed,Brave Yudhishthir kept that sabre when the king his kingdom lost!

Yonder sword with goat-skin scabbard brave Nakula wields in war,In the cowhide Sahadeva keeps his shining scimitar!"

"Strange thy accents," spake Uttara, "stranger are the weapons bright,Are they arms of sons of Pandu famed on earth for matchless might?

Where are now those pious princes by a dire misfortune crossed,Warlike Arjun, good Yudhishthir, by his subjects loved and lost?

Where is tiger-waisted Bhima, matchless fighter in the field,And the brave and twin-born brothers skilled the arms of war to wield?

O'er a game they lost their empire, and we heard of them no more,Or perchance they lonesome wander on some wild and distant shore!

And Draupadi noble princess, purest best of womankind,Doth she wander with Yudhishthir, changeless in her heart and mind?"

Proudly answered valiant Arjun, and a smile was on his face,"Not in distant lands the brothers do their wandering footsteps trace!

In thy father's court disguised lives Yudhishthir just and good,Bhima in thy father's palace as a cook prepares the food!

Brave Nakula guards the horses, Sahadeva tends the kine,As thy sister's waiting-woman doth the fair Draupadi shine!

Pardon, prince, these rings and bangles, pardon strange unmanly guise,'Tis no poor and sexless creature, Arjun greets thy wondering eyes!"

Words in this poem 33

drove n.: A collection of cattle driven, or cattle collected for driving; a number of animals, as oxen, sheep, or swine, driven in a body. [AS. draf, fr. drifan to drive. See Drive.]
darksome a.: Dark; gloomy; obscure; shaded; cheerless.
beseem v. i.: To seem; to appear; to be fitting.
shalt: 2d per. sing. of Shall.
scarce a.: Not plentiful or abundant; in small quantity in proportion to the demand; not easily to be procured; rare; uncommon. [OE. scars, OF. escars, eschars, LL. scarpsus, for L. excerptus, p. p. of excerpere to pick out, and hence to contract, to shorten; ex (see Ex-) + carpere. See C]
fibre n.: One of the delicate, threadlike portions of which the tissues of plants and animals are in part constituted; as, the fiber of flax or of muscle. [F. fibre, L. fibra.]
horrent a.: Standing erect, as bristles; covered with bristling points; bristled; bristling. [L. horrens, p.pr. of horrere to bristle. See Horror.]
bade: A form of the pat tense of Bid.
voiced a.: Furnished with a voice; expressed by the voice.
ebon a.: Consisting of ebony.
wondrous adv.: In a wonderful or surprising manner or degree; wonderfully. [OE. wonders, adv. (later also adj.). See Wonder, n., and cf. -wards.]
lustre n.: A period of five years; a lustrum. [L. lustrum: cf. F. lustre.]
glint n.: A glimpse, glance, or gleam. [OE. glent.]
sable n.: A carnivorous animal of the Weasel family (Mustela zibellina) native of the northern latitudes of Europe, Asia, and America, -- noted for its fine, soft, and valuable fur. [OF. sable, F. zibeline sable (in sense 4), LL. sabellum; cf. D. sabel, Dan. sabel, zobel, Sw. sabel, sobel, G. zobel; all fr. Russ. sóbole.]
jungle n.: A dense growth of brushwood, grasses, reeds, vines, etc.; an almost impenetrable thicket of trees, canes, and reedy vegetation, as in India, Africa, Australia, and Brazil. [Hind. jangal desert, forest, jungle; Skr. ja desert.]
sabre n.: A sword with a broad and heavy blade, thick at the back, and usually more or less curved like a scimiter; a cavalry sword. Saber fish, or Sabre fish (Zoöl.), the cutlass fish.
graven p. p.: Carved. Graven image, an idol; an object of worship carved from wood, stone, etc.
nobly adv.: Of noble extraction; as, nobly born or descended.
scimitar n.: A saber with a much curved blade having the edge on the convex side, -- in use among Mohammedans, esp., the Arabs and persians. [F. cimeterre, cf. It. scimitarra, Sp. cimitarra; fr. Biscayan cimetarry with a sharp edge; or corrupted from Per. shimshir.]
curious a.: Difficult to please or satisfy; solicitous to be correct; careful; scrupulous; nice; exact. [OF. curios, curius, F. curieux, L. curiosus careful, inquisitive, fr. cura care. See Cure.]
cowhide n.: The hide of a cow.
beauteous a.: Full of beauty; beautiful; very handsome. [Mostly poetic] -- Beau"te*ous*ly, adv. --
stalwart a.: Brave; bold; strong; redoubted; daring; vehement; violent. [OE. stalworth, AS. stælwyrth serviceable, probably originally, good at stealing, or worth stealing or taking, and afterwards extended to other causes of estimat]
graced a.: Endowed with grace; beautiful; full of graces; honorable.
yonder adv.: At a distance, but within view. [OE. yonder, ýonder; cf. OD. ginder, Goth. jaindr there. Yond, adv.]
dire a.: Ill-boding; portentous; as, dire omens. [L. dirus; of uncertain origin.]
fighter n.: One who fights; a combatant; a warrior. [AS. feohtere.]
wield v. t.: To govern; to rule; to keep, or have in charge; also, to possess. [OE. welden to govern, to have power over, to possess, AS. geweldan, gewyldan, from wealdan; akin to OS. waldan, OFries. walda, G. walten, OHG. waltan, Icel. val]
lonesome a.: Secluded from society; not frequented by human beings; solitary.
princess n.: A female prince; a woman having sovereign power, or the rank of a prince. [F. princesse. See Prince, and cf. Princesse.]
womankind n.: The females of the human race; women, collectively.
changeless a.: That can not be changed; constant; as, a changeless purpose.
valiant a.: Vigorous in body; strong; powerful; as, a valiant fencer. [OE. valiant, F. vaillant, OF. vaillant, valant, originally p. pr. of OF. & F. valoir to be worth, L. valere to be strong. See Wield, and cf. Avail, Convalesce, ]

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

Arms and Weapons is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Mahabharata (condensed), Project Gutenberg ebook #19630, the Romesh Chunder Dutt translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.

Cite as: Vyasa, Arms and Weapons, in The Mahabharata (condensed) (1899), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #19630, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/mahabharata/arms-and-weapons.html, id L15792.

Form and metre

Arms and Weapons is 97 lines in 48 verse paragraphs. It is in rhyming couplets, 82% of the lines. The metre is trochaic octameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 88%). 98% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 14.9 syllables. 2 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending.

See other poems in rhyming couplets, other poems in trochaic octameter.

Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.

Rhyme words, stanza by stanza

The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.

1 AA tree^A · free^A
2 AA these^A · please^A
3 AA fail^A · mail^A
5 AA bold^A · gold^A
6 AA shade^A · laid^A
7 AA air^A · dare^A
9 AA thing^A · bring^A
10 AA tree^A · free^A
11 A-A appear^A · glistening · clear^A
12 AA eyed^A · cried^A
13 AA friend^A · end^A
14 AA hold^A · gold^A
15 AA might^A · bright^A
16 AA lend^A · bend^A
17 AA ray^A · day^A
18 AA encased^A · placed^A
19 AA hue^A · true^A
20 AA gold^A · bold^A
21 AA blade^A · made^A
22 AA bright^A · might^A
23 AA hilt^A · gilt^A
25 AA made^A · blade^A
26 AA hue^A · blue^A
28 AA gold^A · bold^A
29 AA sent^A · bent^A
30 AA gold^A · rolled^A
31 AA inlaid^A · made^A
32 AA fight^A · bright^A
33 AA belong^A · strong^A
34 AA cased^A · graced^A
36 AA know^A · foe^A
37 AA strength^A · length^A
38 AA embossed^A · lost^A
40 AA bright^A · might^A
41 AA crossed^A · lost^A
42 AA field^A · wield^A
43 AA more^A · shore^A
44 AA womankind^A · mind^A
45 AA face^A · trace^A
47 AA kine^A · shine^A
48 AA guise^A · eyes^A

Scansion, line by line

Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against trochaic octameter. How this is done.

Line	Syl.	Stress
Arjun drove the prince of Matsya to a darksome sami tree,	15	··········/˘/˘·
Spake unto the timid warrior in his accents bold and free:	15	····/˘/˘··/˘···
"Prince, thy bow and shining arrows, pretty handsome toys are these,	15	····/˘/˘/˘/˘···
Scarcely they beseem a warrior, and a warrior cannot please!	15	/˘·˘/·/˘··/˘/˘·
Thou shalt find upon this sami, mark my words which never fail,	15	······/˘····/˘·
Stately bows and winged arrows, banners, swords and coats of mail!	15	/˘···˘/˘/˘·····
And a bow which strongest warriors scarce can in the battle bend,	15	····/˘/˘····/˘·
And the limits of a kingdom widen when that bow is strained!	15	··/˘··/˘/˘·····
Tall and slender like a palm-tree, worthy of a warrior bold,	15	··/˘····/˘··/˘·
Smooth the wood of hardened fibre, and the ends are yellow gold!"	15	····/˘/˘····/˘·
Doubting still Uttara answered: "In this sami's gloomy shade	15	/˘····/˘··/˘/˘·
Corpses hang since many seasons, in their wrappings duly laid,	15	/˘··/˘/˘··/˘/˘·
Now I mark them all suspended, horrent, in the open air,	15	·····˘/˘/˘··/˘·
And to touch the unclean objects, friend, is more than I can dare!"	15	····˘/˘/·······
"Fear not warrior," Arjun answered, "for the tree conceals no dead,	15	··/˘··/˘···˘/··
Warriors' weapons, cased like corpses, lurk within its gloomy shade,	15	/˘/˘··/˘····/˘·
And I ask thee, prince of Matsya, not to touch an unclean thing,	15	············˘/·
But unto a chief and warrior weapons and his arms to bring!"	15	······/˘/˘·····
Prince Uttara gently lighted, climbed the dark and leafy tree,	15	····/˘/˘····/˘·
Arjun from the prince's chariot bade him speed the arms to free,	15	····/˘/˘·······
Then the young prince cut the wrappings and the shining bows appear	15	······/˘··/˘·˘/
Twisted, voiced like hissing serpents, like the bright stars glistening	15	/˘··/˘/˘····/˘˘
clear!	1	·
Seized with wonder prince Uttara silently the weapons eyed,	15	··/˘····/˘˘·/˘·
And unto his chariot-driver thus in trembling accents cried:	15	····/˘/··/˘˘/˘·
"Whose this bow so tall and stately, speak to me my gentle friend,	15	······/˘····/˘·
On the wood are golden bosses, tipped with gold at either end?	15	····/˘/˘····/˘·
Whose this second ponderous weapon stout and massive in the hold,	15	··/˘/˘/˘··/˘···
On the staff are worked by artists elephants of burnished gold?	15	······/˘/˘˘·/˘·
Sure some great and mighty monarch owns this other bow of might,	15	····/˘/···/˘···
Set with golden glittering insects on its ebon back so bright?	15	··/˘/˘/···/˘···
Golden suns of wondrous brightness on this fourth their lustre lend,	15	/˘··/˘/˘····/˘·
Who may be the unknown archer who this stately bow can bend?	15	····˘//˘··/˘···
And the fifth is set with jewels, gems and stones of purest ray,	15	······/˘····/˘·
Golden fire-flies glint and sparkle in the yellow light of day!	15	/˘/···/˘··/˘···
Who doth own these shining arrows with their heads in gold encased,	15	····/˘/˘·····˘/
Thousand arrows bright and feathered, in the golden quivers placed?	15	/˘/˘··/˘··/˘/˘·
Next are these with vulture-feather, golden-yellow in their hue,	15	····/˘/˘/˘/˘···
Made of iron, keen and whetted, whose may be these arrows true?	15	··/˘··/˘····/˘·
Next upon this sable quiver jungle tigers worked in gold,	15	····/˘/˘/˘/˘···
And these keen and boar-eared arrows speak some chieftains fierce and bold!	15	······/˘··/˘···
Fourth are these seven hundred arrows, crescent is their shining blade,	15	···//˘/˘/˘··/˘·
Thirsting for the blood of foemen, and by cunning artists made!	15	/˘········/˘/˘·
And the fifth are golden-crested, made of tempered steel and bright,	15	····/˘/˘··/˘···
Parrot feathers wing these arrows, whetted and of wondrous might!	15	/˘/˘··/˘/˘··/˘·
Who doth own this wondrous sabre, shape of toad is on the hilt,	15	····/˘/˘·······
On the blade a toad is graven, and the scabbard nobly gilt?	15	······/˘··/˘/˘·
Larger, stouter is this second in its sheath of tiger-skin,	15	/˘····/˘····/˘·
Decked with bells and gold-surmounted, and the blade is bright and keen!	15	·····˘/˘·······
Next this scimitar so curious by the skilled nishadas made,	15	······/˘·······
Scabbard made of wondrous cowhide sheathes the bright and polished blade!	15	/˘··/˘/˘····/˘·
Fourth, a long and beauteous weapon glittering sable in its hue,	16	····/˘˘/˘/˘/˘···
With its sheath of softer goat-skin worked with gold on azure blue!	15	····/˘······/˘·
And the fifth is broad and massive over thirty fingers long,	15	······/˘··/˘/˘·
Golden-sheathed and gold embossed like a snake or fiery tongue!"	15	/˘···˘/····/˘˘·
Joyously responded Arjun: "Mark this bow embossed with gold,	15	··˘/˘·····˘/˘··
'Tis the wondrous bow, gandiva, worthy of a warrior bold!	15	··/˘····/˘··/˘·
Gift of heaven! to archer Arjun kindly gods this weapon sent,	15	··/·/˘··/˘··/˘·
And the confines of a kingdom widen when the bow is bent!	15	··/···/˘/˘·····
Next, this mighty ponderous weapon worked with elephants of gold,	15	··/˘/˘/˘··/˘˘··
With this bow the stalwart Bhima hath the tide of conquests rolled!	15	····/˘······/··
And the third with golden insects by a cunning hand inlaid,	15	····/˘/···/˘·/·
'Tis Yudhishthir's royal weapon by the noblest artists made!	15	····/˘/˘··/˘/˘·
Next the bow with solar lustre brave Nakula wields in fight,	15	····/˘/˘·······
And the fifth is Sahadeva's, decked with gems and jewels bright!	15	············/˘·
Listen, prince! these thousand arrows, unto Arjun they belong,	15	/˘··/˘/˘·····˘/
And the darts whose blades are crescent unto Bhima brave and strong,	15	······/˘·······
Boar-ear shafts are young Nakula's, in the tiger-quiver cased,	15	··········/˘/˘·
Sahadeva owns the arrows with the parrot's feather graced,	15	······/˘··/˘/˘·
These three-knotted shining arrows, thick and yellow vulture-plumed,	15	··/˘/˘/˘··/˘/˘·
They belong to King Yudhishthir, with their heads by gold illumed.	15	·˘/············
Listen more! if of these sabres, prince of Matsya, thou wouldst know,	15	/˘····/˘·······
Arjun's sword is toad-engraven, ever dreaded by the foe!	15	········/˘/˘···
And the sword in tiger-scabbard, massive and of mighty strength,	15	····/˘/˘/˘··/˘·
None save tiger-waisted Bhima wields that sword of wondrous length!	15	··/˘/˘······/˘·
Next the sabre golden-hilted, sable and with gold embossed,	15	··/˘/˘/˘/˘···˘/
Brave Yudhishthir kept that sabre when the king his kingdom lost!	15	······/˘····/˘·
Yonder sword with goat-skin scabbard brave Nakula wields in war,	15	/˘····/˘·······
In the cowhide Sahadeva keeps his shining scimitar!"	15	··/˘······/˘···
"Strange thy accents," spake Uttara, "stranger are the weapons bright,	15	··/˘····/˘··/˘·
Are they arms of sons of Pandu famed on earth for matchless might?	15	············/˘·
Where are now those pious princes by a dire misfortune crossed,	15	····/˘/˘···˘/˘·
Warlike Arjun, good Yudhishthir, by his subjects loved and lost?	15	/·········/˘···
Where is tiger-waisted Bhima, matchless fighter in the field,	15	··/˘/˘··/˘/˘···
And the brave and twin-born brothers skilled the arms of war to wield?	15	······/˘·······
O'er a game they lost their empire, and we heard of them no more,	15	······/˘·······
Or perchance they lonesome wander on some wild and distant shore!	15	·˘/·/˘/˘····/˘·
And Draupadi noble princess, purest best of womankind,	15	····/˘/˘/˘··/˘˘
Doth she wander with Yudhishthir, changeless in her heart and mind?"	15	··/˘····/˘·····
Proudly answered valiant Arjun, and a smile was on his face,	15	/˘/˘/˘·········
"Not in distant lands the brothers do their wandering footsteps trace!	15	··/˘··/˘··/˘/··
In thy father's court disguised lives Yudhishthir just and good,	15	··/˘·˘/˘·······
Bhima in thy father's palace as a cook prepares the food!	15	····/˘/˘···˘/··
Brave Nakula guards the horses, Sahadeva tends the kine,	15	······/˘·······
As thy sister's waiting-woman doth the fair Draupadi shine!	15	··/˘/˘/˘·······
Pardon, prince, these rings and bangles, pardon strange unmanly guise,	15	/˘····/˘/˘·····
'Tis no poor and sexless creature, Arjun greets thy wondering eyes!"	15	····/˘/˘····/˘·

The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.

More by Vyasa

The Mahabharata (condensed)