Shloka 12

Adhyāya 104 — Śikhaṇḍin-puraskāraḥ (Śikhaṇḍin as Vanguard) and Bhīṣma’s Counter-Advance

Devanagari script

तत: कार्ष्णिमहाराज निशितै: सायकैस्त्रिभि: । आर्ष्यशज्धिं रणे विद्ध्वा पुनर्विव्याध पठचभि:

Transliteration

tataḥ kārṣṇi-mahārāja niśitaiḥ sāyakais tribhiḥ | ālambuṣaṃ raṇe viddhvā punar vivyādha pañcabhiḥ ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, O great king, Abhimanyu—the son of Arjuna—struck Ālambuṣa in the thick of battle with three sharp arrows, and again pierced him with five more. The scene underscores the relentless momentum of war, where valor and skill are displayed through disciplined action, even as violence escalates in the service of one’s chosen side and duty.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (तद्-प्रातिपदिकात् अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya

• कार्ष्णि: O Kārṣṇi (descendant of Kṛṣṇa)
• कार्ष्णि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्ष्णि (कृष्ण-सम्बन्धि प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज (महा + राजन्)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• निशितैः: with sharp
• निशितैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निशित (विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• सायकैः: with arrows
• सायकैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• त्रिभिः: with three
• त्रिभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• आलम्बुषम्: Alambuṣa
• आलम्बुषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलम्बुष (प्रातिपदिक, व्यक्तिनाम)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• रणे: in battle
• रणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• विद्ध्वा: having pierced/struck
• विद्ध्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विद् (धातु) → विद्ध्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), Avyaya

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya

• विव्याध: pierced, wounded
• विव्याध: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यध् (धातु) (वि + व्यध्)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• पञ्चभिः: with five
• पञ्चभिः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Abhimanyu
• Arjuna
• Ālambuṣa
• arrows

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights kṣatriya-dharma in its battlefield form: focused execution of one’s role with courage and skill. Ethically, it reflects how duty-driven action can be intense and uncompromising in war, while still being framed as disciplined conduct within the epic’s moral universe.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that Abhimanyu, Arjuna’s son, strikes the warrior Ālambuṣa with three sharp arrows and then wounds him again with five more, intensifying the combat sequence.