Shloka 13

Devanagari script

कुलिन्दराजावरजादनन्तर: स्तनान्तरे पत्रिवरैरताडयत्‌ । तवात्मजं तस्य तवात्मज: शरै: शितै: शरीरं व्यहनद्‌ द्विपं च तम्‌

Transliteration

kulindarājāvarajād anantaraḥ stanāntare patrivarair atāḍayat | tavātmajaṃ tasya tavātmajaḥ śaraiḥ śitaiḥ śarīraṃ vyahanad dvipaṃ ca tam ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Der jüngere Bruder des jüngeren Bruders des Königs der Kulindas traf deinen Sohn mit vortrefflichen, befiederten Pfeilen in die Brust. Da verwundete dein Sohn mit scharfen Geschossen sowohl den Leib jenes Kriegers als auch den Elefanten, den er ritt.

Word by Word

• कुलिन्दराजावरजात्: from the younger brother of the king of Kulinda
• कुलिन्दराजावरजात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुलिन्दराज-अवरज
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अनन्तरः: the next (younger one)
• अनन्तरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्तर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्तनान्तरे: in the chest / between the breasts
• स्तनान्तरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन-अन्तर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पत्रिवरैः: with excellent arrows (feathered shafts)
• पत्रिवरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्रिन्-वर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• अताडयत्: struck / smote
• Type: Verb
• Root: तड्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• आत्मजम्: son
• आत्मजम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मज
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तस्य: of him / his
• तस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• आत्मजः: son
• आत्मजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शरैः: with arrows
• शरैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शितैः: sharp
• शितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शित
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• व्यहनत्: wounded / struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular

• द्विपम्: elephant
• द्विपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (implied by 'your son')
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son (a Kaurava prince)
• Kulinda king
• younger brother of the Kulinda king
• younger brother of that younger brother (a Kulinda warrior)
• elephant (mount)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the battlefield ethic of immediate counterstrike: injury provokes retaliation, and violence tends to expand (here, from the warrior to his elephant). It implicitly warns how quickly conflict escalates when driven by anger and martial pride.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Kulinda warrior (described through a chain of kinship) shoots Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son in the chest with fine arrows. Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son answers by shooting back with sharp arrows, wounding both the attacker and the elephant he rides.