Mahabharata 9.21.16 — Shalya Parva, Adhyaya 21, Shloka 16

Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ

Duryodhana’s Arrow-Storm and the Dust-Obscured Engagements

Devanagari script

स दीर्घबाहु: संक्रुद्धस्तोत्रार्दित इव द्विप: । अष्टभि: कृतवर्माणमविद्धयत्‌ परमेषुभि:

Transliteration

sa dīrghabāhuḥ saṅkruddhas totrārdita iva dvipaḥ | aṣṭabhiḥ kṛtavarmāṇam avidhyat parameṣubhiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Da traf jener langarmige Held, von Zorn entflammt, wie ein mächtiger Elefant, den der Treibhaken quält, Kṛtavarmā mit acht vortrefflichen Pfeilen und verwundete ihn.

Word by Word

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दीर्घबाहुः: the long-armed one
• दीर्घबाहुः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घबाहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संक्रुद्धः: enraged
• संक्रुद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संक्रुद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तोत्रार्दितः: struck/tormented by a goad
• तोत्रार्दितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तोत्रार्दित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• द्विपः: an elephant
• द्विपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अष्टभिः: with eight
• अष्टभिः: Karana
• Type: Numeral
• Root: अष्टन्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• कृतवर्माणम्: Kṛtavarman
• कृतवर्माणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (Proper name)
• Root: कृतवर्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अविद्धयत्: pierced, wounded
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• परमेषुभिः: with excellent arrows
• परमेषुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेषु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Sātyaki
• Kṛtavarmā
• totra (elephant-goad)
• iṣu (arrows)
• dvipa (elephant)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how anger (krodha) can surge in battle and propel swift, forceful retaliation; it implicitly warns that even in a dharma-framed war, uncontrolled wrath escalates violence and suffering.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Sātyaki, furious like an elephant stung by a goad, shooting Kṛtavarmā with eight excellent arrows, wounding him in the ongoing clash.