Shloka 8

Devanagari script

सर्वाश्न समरे राजन्‌ किरीटी क्षत्रियर्षभान्‌ । परिचिक्षेप बीभत्सु: सर्वतः प्रकिरन्‌ शरान्‌,राजन! किरीटधारी अर्जुनने समरांगणमें सब ओर बाणोंकी वर्षा करके कौरवपक्षके समस्त क्षत्रिय-शिरोमणियोंको मार भगाया

Transliteration

sarvān samare rājan kirīṭī kṣatriyarṣabhān | paricikṣepa bībhatsuḥ sarvataḥ prakiran śarān ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: „O König, mitten im Kampf zerstreute der diademgeschmückte Arjuna (Bībhatsu) Pfeile nach allen Seiten und trieb alle jene kṣatriyischen Streiter, stark wie Stiere, auseinander und zurück. Die Szene zeigt, wie disziplinierte Kriegskunst, an eine gewählte Sache gespannt, die Flut entscheidend wenden kann – und erinnert doch daran, dass Sieg im Krieg mit dem Leid und der Vertreibung vieler erkauft wird.“

Word by Word

सर्वान्all

समरेin battle

राजन्O king

किरीटीthe diadem-wearer (Arjuna)

क्षत्रियर्षभान्bulls among kshatriyas (foremost warriors)

परिचिक्षेपscattered/overwhelmed (cast around)

बीभत्सुःBībhatsu (Arjuna)

सर्वतःon all sides

प्रकिरन्scattering, showering

शरान्arrows

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Arjuna (Kirīṭī/Bībhatsu)

Kṣatriya warriors (Kaurava side implied)

Arrows (śarāḥ)

Battlefield (samara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the power of focused skill and resolve in fulfilling a warrior’s duty (kṣatriya-dharma), while implicitly pointing to the moral weight of warfare: even rightful prowess manifests through harm, scattering, and fear on the battlefield.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to King Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Arjuna, wearing his diadem, unleashes arrows in all directions and thereby scatters/routs the foremost Kṣatriya fighters of the opposing (Kaurava) host.