Shloka 5

धृतराष्ट्र-संजय-संवादः — दुर्योधनस्य ह्रदप्रवेशः

Dhṛtarāṣṭra–Saṃjaya Dialogue: Duryodhana’s Entry into the Lake

Devanagari script

विव्यधुर्निशितैर्बाणै: कड़कबर्हिणवाजितै: । स्वर्णपुड्खै: शिलाधौतैराकर्णप्रहितैः शरै:,राजन! वे शूरवीर समरांगणमें एक-दूसरेसे टक्कर लेकर कंक और मोरके-से पंखवाले तीखे बाणोंद्वारा परस्पर आघात-प्रत्याघात करने लगे। उनके वे बाण सुनहरी पाँखोंसे सुशोभित, शिलापर साफ किये हुए और कानोंतक खींचकर छोड़े गये थे

Transliteration

sañjaya uvāca |

vivyadhur niśitair bāṇaiḥ kaṅkabārhiṇavājitaiḥ |

suvarṇapuḍkhaiḥ śilādhautair ākarṇaprahitaiḥ śaraiḥ, rājan |

Translation

Sañjaya sprach: O König, jene Helden, die auf dem Schlachtfeld dicht aneinander herangekommen waren, begannen einander mit scharfen Pfeilen zu treffen und zu erwidern—mit Geierfedern und Pfauenplumen befiedert, mit Gold geschmückt, am Stein poliert und gelöst, nachdem der Bogen bis ans Ohr gezogen war.

Word by Word

विव्यधुःthey pierced / struck

निशितैःwith sharp

बाणैःwith arrows

कङ्कबर्हिणवाजितैःwith (arrows) furnished with vulture- and peacock-feathers

स्वर्णपुड्खैःwith golden fletchings

शिलाधौतैःpolished/cleaned on stone

आकर्णप्रहितैःshot after drawing (the bowstring) to the ear

शरैःwith arrows

राजन्O king

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

King (Dhṛtarāṣṭra, implied by rājan)

arrows (bāṇa/śara)

vulture-feathers (kaṅka)

peacock-feathers (bārhiṇa)

gold (suvarṇa)

whetstone/stone for polishing (śilā)

battlefield (samara-aṅgaṇa, implied by context)

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 how, in war, skill and refinement (sharp, polished, fully drawn arrows) can magnify harm; it implicitly invites reflection on the tragic reciprocity of violence even among duty-bound heroes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes two opposing heroic fighters engaging at close quarters, exchanging volleys of expertly made arrows—sharp, stone-burnished, gold-adorned, and shot at full draw—signaling an intense phase of the battle.