Shloka 26

Devanagari script

विचकर्ष धर्नुर्दिव्यं ततः कौरवनन्दन: । यन्त्रस्येवेह शब्दो5 भून्महांस्तस्य पुनः पुन:,फिर तो कौरवनन्दन अर्जुनने अपने दिव्य धनुषकी प्रत्यंचा खींची। उस समय उससे बार-बार मशीनकी तरह बड़े जोर-जोरसे टंकार-ध्वनि होने लगी

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

vicakarṣa dhanuḥ divyaṃ tataḥ kauravanandanaḥ |

yantrasyeva iha śabdo 'bhūt mahāṃs tasya punaḥ punaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Da spannte Arjuna, der Stolz des Kuru-Geschlechts, die Sehne seines göttlichen Bogens. Immer wieder erhob sich daraus ein mächtiges, hallendes Saitenschnarren, wie das Dröhnen einer kraftvoll angetriebenen Maschine.

Word by Word

विचकर्षpulled, drew

धनुःbow

दिव्यम्divine

ततःthen, thereafter

कौरव-नन्दनःthe delight/son of the Kuru line (Arjuna)

यन्त्रस्यof a machine/device

इवlike, as if

इहhere (at that moment/place)

शब्दःsound, noise

अभूत्arose, became

महान्great, loud

तस्यof it/of him (of that bow/Arjuna)

पुनःagain

पुनःagain (repeatedly)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna (Kauravanandana)

divine bow (dhanuḥ divyam)

bowstring (implied by vicakarṣa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power aligned with dharma is marked by restraint and mastery: Arjuna’s controlled drawing of the divine bow symbolizes disciplined capability—strength that is prepared and purposeful, not impulsive.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator describes Arjuna tightening/drawing his divine bow; its repeated, thunderous twang sounds like a machine, emphasizing his readiness and the formidable potency of his weapon.