Shloka 85

Devanagari script

शल्यं च पार्थों दशश्ि: पृषत्कै- भुशं तनुत्रे प्रहसन्नविध्यत्‌

Transliteration

śalyaṃ ca pārtho daśabhiḥ pṛṣatkaiḥ bhuśaṃ tanutre prahasann avidhyat

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Dann traf Pārtha (Arjuna), mit einem Lächeln ruhiger Zuversicht, Śalya mit Wucht durch zehn scharfe Pfeile und durchbohrte ihn durch den Harnisch—eine Tat, die sowohl die unerbittliche Pflicht des Kriegers im Kampf als auch die düstere Präzision hervorhebt, die ein gerechter Krieg verlangt.

Word by Word

शल्यंShalya

चand

पार्थःPartha (Arjuna)

दशभिःwith ten

पृषत्कैःwith arrows

भृशम्exceedingly, greatly

तनुत्रेin/at the armor (cuirass)

प्रहसन्laughing, smiling

अविध्यत्pierced, struck

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

स

संजय (Sañjaya)

प

पार्थ (Pārtha/Arjuna)

श

शल्य (Śalya)

प

पृषत्क (arrows)

त

तनुत्र (armour)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its starkest form: in a just war, a warrior must act with steadiness and precision, performing duty without hesitation. Arjuna’s composed smile suggests inner control amid violence—skill guided by resolve rather than panic.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports that Arjuna (Pārtha) shoots Śalya with ten arrows, striking him forcefully through his armour. It is a moment of tactical dominance within the larger, escalating combat of the Karṇa Parva.