Shloka 68

Devanagari script

स भिन्नकवच: शूरस्तोत्रार्दित इव द्विप: | विमुच्य सशरं चापं भूरिव्रणपरिस्रव:,कवच छिज्न-भिन्न हो जानेसे शूरवीर सात्यकि अंकुशोंकी मार खाये हुए हाथीके समान व्यथित हो उठे। उनके घावोंसे अधिक रक्त बह रहा था। वे शिथिल एवं खूनसे लथपथ हो धनुष-बाण छोड़कर रथके पिछले भागमें बैठ गये। तब सारथि तुरंत ही उन्हें द्रोणपुत्रके पाससे दूसरे रथीके पास हटा ले गया

Transliteration

sa bhinnakavacaḥ śūras totrārdita iva dvipaḥ | vimucya saśaraṃ cāpaṃ bhūrivraṇaparisravaḥ ||

Translation

বর্ম ভাঙি চূৰ্ণ হোৱাত বীৰ সাত্যকি অঙ্কুশে পীড়িত হাতীৰ দৰে কাতৰ হৈ উঠিল। বহু ঘাঁৰ পৰা ৰক্ত ধাৰাসাৰে বব লাগিল। শক্তি শিথিল হৈ ৰক্তস্নাত অৱস্থাত ধনু-শৰ এৰি ৰথৰ পিছফালে বহি পৰিল; তেতিয়া সাৰথিয়ে তেওঁক দ্ৰোণপুত্ৰৰ ওচৰৰ পৰা তৎক্ষণাৎ আঁতৰাই আন ৰথীৰ ফালে লৈ গ’ল।

Word by Word

सःhe

भिन्नकवचःwith broken armor

शूरःhero, warrior

स्तोत्रार्दितःpained/afflicted by goads (lit. by 'stotra')

इवlike, as if

द्विपःelephant

विमुच्यhaving released, letting go

सशरम्together with arrows

चापम्bow

भूरिव्रणपरिस्रवःfrom whose many wounds there was oozing/flowing (blood)

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Sātyaki

Droṇaputra (Aśvatthāmā)

armour (kavaca)

bow (cāpa)

arrows (śara)

chariot (ratha)

charioteer (sārathi)

elephant-goad (totra)

elephant (dvipa)

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 highlights the ethical realism of war: valor does not negate vulnerability. A warrior may be compelled to withdraw due to grievous wounds; such retreat can be a prudent, duty-aligned response to preserve life and continue serving one’s cause rather than a sign of cowardice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sātyaki’s armour is broken and he is heavily wounded, bleeding from many injuries. Overwhelmed like an elephant struck by a goad, he drops his bow and arrows and sits at the back of his chariot. His charioteer then swiftly moves him away from Droṇa’s son (Aśvatthāmā) toward another opponent/position.