Shloka 14

Devanagari script

तब शत्रुदलके प्रधान-प्रधान वीरोंका बेखटके वध करते हुए अभिमन्युको अश्वत्थामाने पचीस बाण मारे ।। सतु बाणै: शितैस्तूर्ण प्रत्यविध्यत मारिष । पश्यतां धार्तराष्ट्राणाम श्वत्थामानमार्जुनि:

Transliteration

sa tu bāṇaiḥ śitais tūrṇaṃ pratyavidhyat mārīṣa | paśyatāṃ dhārtarāṣṭrāṇām aśvatthāmānam arjuniḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Als Abhimanyu ohne Zögern die führenden Helden des feindlichen Heeres niederstreckte, schoss Aśvatthāmā fünfundzwanzig Pfeile auf ihn. Doch Arjunī (Abhimanyu) erwiderte sogleich mit scharfen Geschossen und traf Aśvatthāmā vor den Augen der Dhārtarāṣṭra-Krieger.

Word by Word

सःhe

तुbut/indeed

बाणैःwith arrows

शितैःsharp

तूर्णम्quickly

प्रत्यविध्यत्pierced/struck in return

मारिषO noble one (sir)

पश्यताम्of (those) watching

धार्तराष्ट्राणाम्of the Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kauravas)

अश्वत्थामानम्Aśvatthāman

अर्जुनिO Arjuni (descendant of Arjuna)/O Arjuna-like one

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Abhimanyu (Arjuni)

Aśvatthāmā

Dhārtarāṣṭras (Kaurava warriors)

bāṇa (arrows)

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 ethic of kṣatriya warfare as portrayed in the epic: swift counteraction and steadfastness to one’s duty amid danger. It also hints at the moral tension of war—heroism expressed through effective retaliation, even as violence escalates before an audience that judges victory and defeat.

What is happening in the narrative?

Abhimanyu (called Arjuni) quickly counter-attacks Aśvatthāmā with sharp arrows, striking him back while the Kaurava forces (Dhārtarāṣṭras) look on. It is a moment of visible prowess and immediate response in the thick of battle.