Shloka 29

Adhyāya 21 — Duryodhanasya bāṇavarṣaḥ

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

Devanagari script

तमारोप्य रथोपस्थे मिषतां सर्वधन्विनाम्‌

Transliteration

tam āropya rathopasthe miṣatāṃ sarvadhanvinām

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: Sie hoben ihn empor und setzten ihn auf den Sitz des Wagens, während alle Bogenschützen zusahen—(und zogen weiter). Es war ein hartes Bild der öffentlichen Beobachtung auf dem Schlachtfeld, wo Ehre, Pflicht und der sichtbare Umgang mit dem Gefallenen Teil des moralischen und psychologischen Ringens des Krieges werden.

Word by Word

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

• आरोप्य: having mounted/placed (him) up
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-रुह्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• रथोपस्थे: on the seat of the chariot
• रथोपस्थे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथोपस्थ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• मिषताम्: while (they) were looking on
• Type: Verb
• Root: मिषत्
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• सर्वधन्विनाम्: of all the bowmen/archers
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वधन्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• chariot (ratha)
• archers/bowmen (dhanvinaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how actions in war occur under collective witness: the treatment of a warrior—especially the fallen or wounded—becomes a public act tied to honor and duty, shaping morale and ethical perception amid violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Someone is lifted and placed onto the chariot-seat while all the archers watch, indicating a decisive battlefield moment—removal, rescue, or repositioning—performed openly before the assembled fighters.