Shloka 556

द्रोणकर्णयोः निशि संप्रहारः — Night Engagement with Droṇa and Karṇa

Devanagari script

विधुन्वतश्न चापानि सर्वतः प्रत्यवारयन्‌ | वे अर्जुनको लक्ष्य करके बार-बार गरजते, उन्हें बारंबार बाणोंसे बींधते और धनुषको हिलाते हुए सब ओरसे उन्हें आगे बढ़नेसे रोकने लगे

Transliteration

vidhunvataś ca cāpāni sarvataḥ pratyavārayan |

Translation

قال سنجيا: كانوا يهزّون أقواسهم ويزحفون من كل جانب، فيكبحون تقدّمه. جعلوا أرجونا هدفهم، فراحوا يزأرون مراراً ويطعنونه مراراً بوابلٍ من السهام—يريدون، بقوة القتال المحضة، أن يوقفوا اندفاعه في خضم حربٍ عادلةٍ لكنها مدمّرة.

Word by Word

• विधुन्वतः: of (him) who is shaking/brandishing
• विधुन्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-धुन्व् (धुन्व्)
• Form: शतृ (वर्तमान कृदन्त), परस्मैपद-प्रयोग (कर्तरि), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• चापानि: bows
• चापानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाप
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सर्वतः: from all sides / on all sides
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• प्रत्यवारयन्: they warded off / held back / prevented
• प्रत्यवारयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-अव-√वृ (वारयति)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतन भूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथम, बहुवचन

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Arjuna
• bows (cāpa)
• arrows (bāṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the kṣatriya-world ethic of confronting force with force: opponents attempt to stop a righteous warrior’s advance through coordinated pressure. It also underscores how war amplifies intimidation and injury, reminding the listener that even dharma-grounded conflict carries severe human cost.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Arjuna being surrounded and opposed: the enemy brandishes bows, roars, and repeatedly shoots him with arrows, collectively trying to prevent him from moving forward on the battlefield.