Shloka 56

Devanagari script

क्षुरैगाण्डीवनिर्मुक्ति्नातियत्नादिवार्जुन: । वे गाण्डीव धनुषसे छूटे हुए तेज धारवाले धुरोंसे बिना परिश्रमके ही उनके मस्तक काटने लगे

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: kṣuraiḥ gāṇḍīva-nirmuktaiḥ nāti-yatnād iva Arjunaḥ | te gāṇḍīva-dhanuṣaḥ chūṭe huye teja-dhāra-vāle dhurōṃ se binā pariśrama ke hī unke mastak kāṭne lage |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: With razor-sharp missiles loosed from the Gāṇḍīva, Arjuna—almost without exertion—began to sever their heads. The telling reveals the overwhelming, disciplined force of a master archer: when power is joined to skill, violence becomes effortless, and an unspoken ethical tension arises over how easily life may be taken after war.

Word by Word

क्षुरैःwith razors; with sharp blades

गाण्डीव-निर्मुक्तैःreleased from (the bow) Gāṇḍīva

अतियत्नात्from excessive effort; with great exertion (as a point of comparison)

इवas if; like

अर्जुनःArjuna

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Arjuna

Gāṇḍīva (bow)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how perfected martial skill can make killing seem effortless; ethically, it invites reflection on the responsibility that accompanies power—especially in a post-war setting where the line between necessary force and excess can become thin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Arjuna releasing razor-like, keen-edged missiles from the Gāṇḍīva and, with minimal exertion, cutting down opponents by severing their heads—an image of decisive, overwhelming archery.