Shloka 5

भीष्मरथाभिमुख्यं — Arjuna’s advance with Śikhaṇḍin; Duḥśāsana’s interception

Devanagari script

धृष्टद्युम्न॑ ततो विद्ध्वा विराटं च शरैस्त्रिभि: । ट्रुपदस्य च नाराचं प्रेषयामास भारत,भारत! तदनन्तर भीष्मने विराट और धृष्टद्युम्नको तीन बाणोंसे घायल करके द्रुपदपर नाराचका प्रहार किया

Transliteration

dhṛṣṭadyumnam tato viddhvā virāṭaṃ ca śarais tribhiḥ | drupadasya ca nārācaṃ preṣayāmāsa bhārata ||

Translation

Sañjaya said: Then, having struck Dhṛṣṭadyumna and also Virāṭa with three arrows, he sent a nārāca-shaft against Drupada, O Bhārata.

Word by Word

धृष्टद्युम्नम्Dhrishtadyumna (as object)

ततःthen/thereupon

विद्ध्वाhaving pierced/struck

विराटम्Virata (as object)

चand

शरैःwith arrows

त्रिभिःwith three

द्रुपदस्यof Drupada

चand

नाराचम्a naracha (iron arrow/shaft)

प्रेषयामासsent/shot (he did send)

भारतO Bharata

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Dhṛṣṭadyumna

Virāṭa

Drupada

nārāca (iron arrow/shaft)

arrows (śara)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse reflects the Mahābhārata’s recurring tension between duty and destruction: warriors act with speed and precision under kṣatriya-dharma, yet the narrative invites reflection on how leadership and obligation can propel escalating violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Sañjaya’s battlefield report, a warrior (contextually Bhīṣma in this passage) first wounds Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Virāṭa with three arrows, then immediately looses a heavier nārāca missile at Drupada, targeting key Pāṇḍava allies and commanders.