कथा कौतुकम् - 2 - एकाक्षर-श्लोकः
Bhāravi’s famous verse from the Kirātārjunīya is composed almost entirely using the single consonant na, with different vowels creating the required syllables. Remarkably, the apparently playful linguistic feat conveys a serious warrior’s code concerning strength, restraint, and the ethics of combat.
Article compiled by Harsha M Krishna
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एकः कविः आसीत्। तस्य नाम भारविः। ekaḥ kaviḥ āsīt. tasya nāma bhāraviḥ. (There was a poet. His name was Bhāravi.)
सः षष्ठे शतके अभवत्। saḥ ṣaṣṭhe śatake abhavat. (He lived in the 6th century.)
तेन एकः श्लोकः लिखितः। तस्मिन् श्लोके केवलम् एकः व्यञ्जनः अस्ति — “न”। tena ekaḥ ślokaḥ likhitaḥ. tasmin śloke kevalam ekaḥ vyañjanaḥ asti — “na”. (He wrote a verse. In that verse there is only one consonant — “na”.)
किन्तु तस्य अर्थः अस्ति! सुन्दरः अर्थः! kintu tasya arthaḥ asti! sundaraḥ arthaḥ! (But it has a meaning! A beautiful meaning!)
पश्यन्तु 👇
श्लोकः — Kirātārjunīya 15.14
न नोननुन्नो नुन्नोनो नाना नानानना ननु । नुन्नोऽनुन्नो ननुन्नेनो नानेना नुन्ननुन्ननुत् ॥
na nonanunno nunnono nānā nānānanā nanu | nunno’nunno nanunneno nānenā nunnanunnanut ||
Say it aloud. Every single syllable is built from na. 😮
अर्थः — The meaning
O warriors of many faces —
He who is beaten by someone weaker than himself is no true man. And he who crushes someone weaker than himself is no true man either.
He whose leader stands unbroken is not defeated, even when struck down. But he who keeps striking a man already fallen — he does not go free of sin.
In English 👇
Bhāravi wrote the Kirātārjunīya in the 6th century — the story of Arjuna’s battle with Shiva disguised as a hunter. Its 15th canto is where he shows off, and this verse is the most famous line in it.
The entire verse uses one consonant: “na” — with nothing but different vowels around it. (The last letter t is the only exception.)
Now here’s what makes it more than a stunt: it isn’t nonsense. It’s a warrior’s code of honour, spoken on a battlefield. Do not be beaten by the weak. Do not crush the weak. Do not strike a man who has already fallen.
A poet who could have written anything chose to say that — while tying one hand behind his back.
Two more things from the same canto, for anyone curious: 🔹 Verse 25 is a sarvatobhadra — every line is a palindrome, and it reads the same downward and upward too 🔹 Verse 23 is verse 22 read backwards, syllable for syllable
Bhāravi was clearly enjoying himself. 😄
कः अस्मिन् काव्ये अधिकं ज्ञातुम् इच्छति? 🌸
पूर्णं काव्यम् — Full text: https://sanskritdocuments.org/doc_z_misc_major_works/kirarj.html