Shloka 21

Droṇa-parva Adhyāya 47 — Abhimanyu’s rapid exchanges, counsel to disable his chariot-system

Devanagari script

अथ कोसलराजस्तु विरथ: खड्गचर्मभृत्‌ । इयेष फाल्गुने: कायाच्छिरो हर्तु सकुण्डलम्‌,रथहीन होनेपर कोसलनरेशने हाथमें ढाल और तलवार ले ली तथा अभिमन्युके शरीरसे उसके कुण्डलयुक्त मस्तकको काट लेनेका विचार किया

Transliteration

atha kosalarājas tu virathaḥ khaḍgacarmabhṛt | iyeṣa phālguneḥ kāyāc chiro hartu sakuṇḍalam ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Da nahm der König von Kośala, Viratha, nachdem er seinen Wagen verloren hatte, Schwert und Schild zur Hand und fasste den Entschluss, dem Sohn des Phalguna den mit Ohrringen geschmückten Kopf abzuschlagen—ein Vorhaben aus Schlachtwut und der düsteren Jagd nach einer Kriegerbeute, nicht aus höherer Selbstzucht.

Word by Word

अथthen

कोसलराजःthe king of Kosala

तुbut/indeed

विरथःwithout a chariot (chariotless)

खड्गचर्मभृत्bearing sword and shield

इयेषdesired/intended

फाल्गुनेःof Phalguni (Arjuna)

कायात्from the body

शिरःhead

हर्तुम्to take away/carry off

सकुण्डलम्with earrings

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Kosala

Kosalarāja (king of Kosala)

Viratha

Phalguni/Phalguna (Arjuna, by patronymic reference)

Abhimanyu (implied as Phalguna’s son in this context)

sword (khaḍga)

shield (carma)

earrings (kuṇḍala)

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 how, in war, anger and the desire for a visible ‘trophy’ can eclipse restraint; it implicitly contrasts raw battlefield impulse with the ethical ideal of disciplined kṣatriya conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being deprived of his chariot, Viratha, the king of Kosala, arms himself with sword and shield and intends to cut off the earring-adorned head of Phalguna’s son (Abhimanyu).