Shloka 2

Devanagari script

ततो ज्यामभिमृज्याशु व्याक्षिपद्‌ गाण्डिवं धनु: । दश्रे कर्णविनाशाय केशवं चाभ्यभाषत

Transliteration

tato jyām abhimṛjya āśu vyākṣipad gāṇḍīvaṃ dhanuḥ | daśre karṇa-vināśāya keśavaṃ cābhyabhāṣata ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Dann wischte er rasch die Sehne, spannte den Gāṇḍīva-Bogen und ließ ihn dröhnend erklingen. Fest entschlossen, Karṇa zu vernichten, wandte er sich so an Keshava (Kṛṣṇa).

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः
• Form: Avyaya (ablatival adverb: 'from/thereafter')

• ज्याम्: bowstring
• ज्याम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अभिमृज्य: having wiped/handled
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-मृज्
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), 'having wiped/handled'

• आशु: quickly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु
• Form: Avyaya

• व्याक्षिपत्: he twanged/brandished (lit. threw forth)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आ-क्षिप्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• गाण्डिवम्: Gāṇḍīva (Arjuna's bow)
• गाण्डिवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाण्डिव
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धनुः: bow
• धनुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular (Vedic/epic usage; form identical to nominative)

• दश्रे: in the tenth (day)
• दश्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कर्णविनाशाय: for the destruction of Karṇa
• कर्णविनाशाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण-विनाश
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• केशवम्: Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)
• केशवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: Avyaya

• अभ्यभाषत: he addressed/spoke to
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-भाष्
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Gāṇḍīva (bow)
• Karṇa
• Keśava (Kṛṣṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores disciplined readiness and unwavering resolve in the face of a decisive moral crisis, while also implying that even the greatest warrior seeks alignment with higher guidance (Keśava) before acting.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna prepares his bow by wiping the string, draws and twangs the Gāṇḍīva as a signal of readiness, forms a firm intention to bring about Karṇa’s downfall, and then turns to speak with Kṛṣṇa.