Shloka 536

Devanagari script

एवमस्य धरनूंष्याजी चिच्छेद सुबहून्यथ । उस महायुद्धमें भीष्म जो-जो धनुष हाथमें लेते थे कुन्तीकुमार अर्जुन उसे आधे निमेषमें काट डालते थे। इस प्रकार उन्होंने रणक्षेत्रमें उनके बहुत-से धनुष खण्डित कर दिये

Transliteration

evam asya dhanuṁṣy ājau ciccheda subahūny atha |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: So zerschlug Arjuna im dichtesten Kampfgetümmel immer wieder Bhīṣmas Bögen—so schnell, dass jeder Bogen, den Bhīṣma in die Hand nahm, in einem Bruchteil eines Augenblicks durchtrennt war. Auf diese Weise zerbrach er auf dem Schlachtfeld viele von Bhīṣmas Waffen und zeigte eine unvergleichliche Kunst, während die düstere Pflicht des Krieges auf beiden Seiten lastete.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• धनूंषि: bows
• धनूंषि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: neuter, accusative, plural

• अजि: in battle
• अजि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजि
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• चिच्छेद: cut (asunder)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद्
• Form: perfect, third, singular, parasmaipada

• सुबहूनि: very many
• सुबहूनि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-बहु
• Form: neuter, accusative, plural

• अथ: then/and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Bhīṣma
• Arjuna
• Kuntīkumāra (Arjuna as son of Kuntī)
• dhanuṣ (bow)
• raṇakṣetra (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even within the harsh necessity of war, the epic highlights disciplined mastery and unwavering resolve: Arjuna’s precision serves his perceived dharma, while the scene also underscores the tragic grandeur of righteous warriors compelled to oppose one another.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya narrates that during the battle Arjuna repeatedly and rapidly severs the bows Bhīṣma takes up, breaking many of his weapons on the battlefield and momentarily checking Bhīṣma’s offensive.