Shloka 30

Devanagari script

नराश्चकायान्‌ निर्भिद्य लौहानि कवचानि च । निपेतुर्विमला: शक्‍्त्यो वीरबाहुभिरपिंता:

Transliteration

narāś ca kāyān nirbhidya lauhāni kavacāni ca | nipetur vimalāḥ śaktyo vīrabāhubhir apintāḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Makellose Speere, geschleudert von den mächtigen Armen heldenhafter Krieger, durchbohrten Männerleiber und spalteten sogar eiserne Kürasse; und nachdem sie ihr Werk vollbracht hatten, fielen sie zu Boden. Die Szene zeigt die düstere Gewissheit der Schlacht—wenn Tapferkeit und Können zu Werkzeugen der Vernichtung werden und der Preis von Fleisch und Rüstung gleichermaßen getragen wird.

Word by Word

नराःmen, warriors

चand

कायान्bodies

निर्भिद्यhaving pierced, splitting through

लौहानिiron (made of iron)

कवचानिarmours, cuirasses

चand

निपेतुःfell down

विमलाःbright, stainless

शक्त्यःspears, javelins

वीरबाहुभिःby the heroes' arms (by strong-armed warriors)

अपिंताःhurled, cast

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

śakti (spear/javelin weapon)

kavaca (armor/cuirass)

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 harsh reality of war: even heroic strength and shining weapons culminate in bodily harm and death. It implicitly invites reflection on kṣatriya-duty and the ethical weight of violence—valor may be praised, yet its fruits are grievous and irreversible.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes intense fighting in which spears (śaktis) thrown by powerful warriors pierce combatants and break through iron armor; after striking their targets, the weapons fall to the ground.