Shloka 33

Bhagadatta’s Advance, the Saṃśaptaka Challenge, and Arjuna’s Counterstrike (द्रोणपर्व, अध्याय २६)

Devanagari script

स विघातं पृषत्कानामड्कुशेन समाहरन्‌

Transliteration

sa vighātaṃ pṛṣatkānām aṅkuśena samāharan

Translation

قال سنجيا: لقد كبح اندفاع السهام وجمع شتاتها، وضبط الموقف بكبحٍ يشبه الأَنْكوشا (aṅkuśa)—فحوّل وابل المقذوفات الفوضوي إلى أمرٍ مُحكَمٍ يمكن احتواؤه وسط عنف المعركة.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विघातम्: destruction, warding off
• विघातम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विघात
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पृषत्कानाम्: of the arrows
• पृषत्कानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृषत्का
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• अङ्कुशेन: with a goad/hook
• अङ्कुशेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्कुश
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• समाहरन्: he gathered/warded off
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-हृ
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• pṛṣatka (arrows/missiles)
• aṅkuśa (elephant-goad)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even in war, effectiveness is linked to restraint: the verse uses the aṅkuśa (goad) as an image of disciplined control—checking a violent surge rather than being overwhelmed by it.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Sañjaya’s battlefield report, a warrior is described as countering a barrage of arrows—breaking their momentum and bringing the attack under control, as if using a goad to rein in a powerful force.